Synergy

by Jamie Magee

  “Ask her,” Aden said, coming to sit at my side.

  “No, thank you,” Madison said, moving to the edge of the couch, allowing Aden to sit between us.

  August and Olivia had watched our instant communication with utter awe. August looked between me and Aden. “Do you two speak without words? Does your love - the bond of soul mates create that?”

  Aden and I both blushed, and the dimples that set him apart from Draven showed themselves for an instant. “I’m Aden. Charlie is Draven’s girl; always has been,” he said, glancing at me. “We’re twins. We don’t hear each other’s thoughts; we see them. Well, kind of; we see what we allow each other to.”

  “Twin Taurus, with the gift of music, I assume,” August mused, then glanced at Madison, “yet you’re here as well.”

  “Excuse me?” Madison said bleakly.

  Olivia reached to squeeze August’s leg as if to warn him to exercise caution, but I doubted he needed that warning. August was taking all of this in too easily, like he already knew more about us than we’d explained.

  “I’m sorry. Sometimes my wandering thoughts slip out. You see, we have this scroll. Willow and Landen left it with us in a previous life, and it maps out what is to occur now, at least in part. The trials are never really clear.”

  “Trials?” Aden asked as he gazed at August to find the answers he was seeking.

  August nodded once. “We’ve all returned to our beginning, but the darkness we fight will not make the change we seek easy. Willow holds a power in her heart, and it was believed her heart would be tested at least ten times, ten trials based upon the influences of the planets above, but it’s becoming more and more clear that the test of her heart isn’t what today is all about. This is a power struggle; the ghost of Donalt is looking for power, for a host, and he wants nothing more than for Drake to be that host.”

  My eyes angled at Madison, who was leaning forward on her legs, her face buried in her hands, refusing to even try to understand any of this.

  “I know this is a lot,” Olivia said to us.

  I’m sure it would be a lot to anyone who had no warning of this day, but the woman Willow was in Egypt when I first met her knew it was coming. She was assembling a family of souls, and it made perfect sense to me that Taurus twins and a Libra would be on that scroll. What didn’t make sense was how they didn’t know for sure that Madison existed, or about Monroe, that they didn’t see her coming.

  “Well versed in the family of souls,” Aden muttered, reaching for my hand.

  “What is that again? You’ve mentioned it twice,” Olivia asked.

  “I’m interested,” I heard another voice say. I glanced over my shoulder to see the older woman, Perodine. Her hair was silver and pulled into a low ponytail, and her eyes reminded me of Willow and Madison’s, they were so green. She didn’t look four million years old; sixty at best, and even at that age she looked good.

  Madison stood abruptly, and we followed her. Perodine smiled at her, but Madison didn’t lose her tense composure as she stared deep into Perodine. “Why?” Madison whispered.

  Perodine moved closer to her. “I knew you would be here, with or without my warning; I just wanted to prepare you. I didn’t want you to fear coming here.”

  “Well, you failed,” Madison said, swallowing. “I’m not her.”

  “Only you would know that,” Perodine said calmly. “Truth be told, I was seeking Charlie, and I found you next to her. It was a gift, something I should have seen coming.”

  “Did you see me walk out this door, down that hall to end this, then go home? Because that’s what’s happening now,” Madison said as she walked past her to the doorway.

  I rushed to follow her, but Perodine stood in front of me. “Let her see it. I need you to tell me about the family of souls, about your undead Witness,” she said quietly.

  Chapter Thirteen

  My heart started to beat wildly. I wanted to chase Madison, but at the same time I knew she needed to see what was down the hall. I knew that when she saw it, she might crumble, but only for an instant. She would find a way to help us all through this. These people were blind to what they were fighting; they were doting on Willow and missing the big picture. Madison could set Willow straight faster than I could.

  “She’s not ready for this,” I said, swallowing my fear.

  “I know,” Perodine said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “And the faster she faces this, the better. It’s starting to distract her, and we need her to focus; all of you, too.”

  “How do you know that? Can you see?” I asked.

  “No, but I’m a woman, one that has tried more than once to hide my heart away.”

  I nodded once and looked back at Aden. He seemed content to let Madison walk down that hall. We both knew Draven was in there, that he could help her if she really fell apart.

  “Sit,” Perodine said, gesturing for us to take our place on the couch again. She went to the bookcase on the back wall and retrieved a chalice and an old book, then took a seat on the table before us.

  “Are you sure you aren’t a Witch?” I asked, looking at the ancient chalice she set by her side. It was silver and had several inscriptions on it, ones that I couldn't read.

  “Not a witch. I just read a lot,” Perodine promised. She glanced at Olivia. “Travelers are gathering to take the child to Chara. Would you go to her, tell her about Chara, prepare her so she isn’t afraid?”

  “You don’t have to prepare Monroe for anything,” I promised. Perodine looked right at me, and when I saw her, I saw Silas. I knew she was trying to get Olivia out of the room for a reason that I couldn’t comprehend.

  “But I’m sure she would rather talk to you than her brothers,” I said, trying to correct myself.

  Olivia furrowed her eyebrows as she stood, then nodded at August and left.

  “There are more of us?” Aden asked, looking at August. “You have met people who can help the damned in your life?”

  “I have,” August said, smiling slightly. He seemed just as confused as Olivia as to why Perodine had asked her to leave.

  “You’re very rare today, descendants of a very wise generation.”

  “Where is that generation now?” Aden asked, mystified.

  “Around, but they do not see now. The later generations had less interest in how we all connect. Little interest in immortality.”

  Immortality? What? “What would that have to do with seeing?” I asked.

  August looked at Perodine, then to us. “I gather that each of you are blunt and don’t need a drawn out explanation, so I’ll be frank. Karma is law. When you give, you receive. People who see the way you do and choose to help, to counsel, they give their energy, and that energy, which is the core of life, is returned to them abundantly. They live on and on, holding the youthful image they choose. Your ancestors grew to believe that they were blurring the generations, crossing natural boundaries. They felt that by not dying, they were hindering the illumination that they’d receive across several lives. They chose a select group to continue to help, and the others stopped - and with that, instant age came. Over time, the select few grieved for the family that had passed on, and sooner or later less and less seers chose that path. I assure you that you’re rare; most people who come by your grifts naturally abandon them out of fear.”

  Aden and I looked at each other with eyes full of wonder and confusion. Aden broke my stare and locked eyes with August. “Are you saying we can’t die because we helped?”

  “Of natural causes, yes, but a weapon can end you. I want to assure you that we can teach you how to protect yourself. Jason, Willow’s father, is a gifted doctor, and you may or may not know this, but Landen is a healer; he’s healed many fatal wounds. Your youth will remain as long as you charge this fate, and we will protect you in any way we can.”

  “You believe we’re the ancestors of the people you’re speaking about?” I asked.

  August nodded. “Old souls find their way bac
k. For all I know, you’re some of the originals reborn. What intrigues me is that you all fell.”

  Aden looked at me like he was missing something.

  “I fell, and Draven fell; I know that with certainty. Madison was told that she fell. I don’t know if Aden or the others fell or not.”

  “How do you know for certain?” Perodine asked, slanting her head as she looked between me and Aden.

  I looked confidently in her eyes. “Willow told me. At least she told me that if I wasn’t Julia, when we met again, that meant I’d fallen.”

  “How does one fall?” Perodine asked in a tone that told me she already knew.

  “Love,” I whispered as Draven instantly came to mind.

  August and Perodine’s eyes were looking between me and Aden like they were trying to see some kind of bond or something. Aden must have noticed it, too, because he said, “I’m Aden, not Draven; she’s not talking about me. As far as I know, I never fell - or whatever you guys are talking about.”

  Perodine raised one eyebrow. “I wouldn't be so sure about that. I have a feeling the two of you have known each other for a while.”

  “Yeah, like our entire life,” Aden said as he instantly became defensive. He moved closer to me in an effort to block their confusing words.

  “Existence,” Perodine corrected.

  “What are you saying?” I asked as I glanced from Aden to them. It was like they could see or knew something that we were oblivious to.

  “More than I have time to explain now,” Perodine answered quietly.

  As his eyes grew more curious, August said, “Undead Witnesses can love. They’re known for how fierce that emotion is within them. Some even say that if they didn’t love that they would perish; it gives them the power they have. I’m intrigued simply because to fall once would be an expression of massive power; more than once...well, that would be a display that has never been openly recorded.”

  I felt my face flush. Did he just tell me that if Silas didn’t love me that he would die? He would be powerless? Who fell more than once? What were they talking about?

  My fearful reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Aden, who looked at me, then to August.

  “What happens when they figure out they’re no longer loved?”

  August looked between me and Aden. “Well, I don’t know, or I don’t remember clearly enough to tell you with certainty. I have books on your kind at my home.”

  “Retrieve them,” Perodine said. She nodded to the doorway. “Say your goodbyes.”

  I glanced over my shoulder and saw Monroe standing in the threshold with Austin. I rushed to her side. In the hall, I saw Olivia and Chrispin, her brothers, and others I assumed were travelers.

  “Are you OK?” I asked her. She nodded. “They’re going to take you to Chara. It’s safe there.” She smiled slightly. “You agree?” She reached for my hand, and when she did, I saw The Realm again. I heard the song we’d created that was helping focus Landen and Drake. It was slightly different...at first I thought it was because it was so faint, but I knew that song too well.

  In that vision, I looked down at my hands and saw them glowing slightly, felt them humming. I reached for one of the flawless men in black that was attacking me and held my hands on either side of his head; as I did, I heard the song grow louder and saw a ray of light reach from my hands to this man. He fell to his knees as black smoke escaped every part of him. I felt an empowering energy course through me, and my soul ignited with purpose. The shock of that emotion pulled me from the vision.

  I glanced down at my hands, then to Monroe. “That’s definitely less gross than pulling it out. Change the song. We have to change it?” I asked, wanting to clarify that it was a different sound that I’d faintly heard.

  She nodded. I pulled her to me and hugged her tightly. I nodded once at Grayson, then urged her to go to him.

  August was at my side. “I’ll get her there safely and find the books I was speaking about. We’ll understand why we’re all together soon, the synergy that you’ve created.” He glanced over his shoulder at Aden, then to me. “I’m interested in diving into your past lives. I have no doubt we can help you remember them, that you hold more answers than you could imagine.”

  I nodded, not really caring about what had happened; what was happening now was more of an issue for me.

  I watched them all go, leaving me alone with Aden and Perodine. I glanced over my shoulder to see her at the fireplace; she was on her knees, and she reached in and gathered some ash, then placed it the chalice she had before standing and pulling a small knife out of her pocket.

  “Should I care that we’re alone with you?” I asked as I swallowed nervously.

  “Sit, please,” she said calmly as she made her way to the table that she was sitting on before. Aden reached for my hand and guided me toward her. I knew if he had seen something bad in this woman, we’d be gone by now; he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me.

  We sat down on the couch and looked at her with wide eyes. Perodine was trying to hide the concern I could see in her eyes with a weak smile. “I don’t have time to slowly explain to you what I know or think, so I’m going to be blunt. My daughter has paved a path for this day and the ones that are to come. She had a life of illumination, one that I’m sure you met her in when you walked with the undead. My only problem is that I do not know what she knew then. The person Willow is today is deeply attached to her family, her soul mate. She does not see a greater outlook, and she will not let anyone step into a dangerous path. The fact that I saw a witness coming now, that an undead witness was mentioned, means that this war we fight is not here; it is on a larger scale.”

  “How did you see me coming?” I asked weakly.

  “The skies paint an obscure scene, and the scroll adds to it what I see. My instinct tells me the most.”

  “What is your instinct about us?” I pushed.

  “That you know more than you think you do. A Living Witness is a warrior of light, a cause to an effect. For you to be created, there must have been a catalyst, and that catalyst could have been anything. The fact that you fell into the dimension of Infante would tell me that it had nothing to do with my late husband Donalt, but now you’re here with a child of his from that world. I need to understand if he’s the head of the snake or just a part of it, and I need to be able to prepare my daughter for whatever heartbreak is coming her way. If she breaks, Mother Nature will punish us all with her tears.”

  My head was spinning. Was this woman a Queen? Did she rule this world with Donalt? I couldn't ask the questions fast enough; I was too focused on that knife in her hand, that chalice.

  “Listen,” I said, squeezing Aden’s hand. “I was created because of a prayer to a Goddess. I was young, in love, and stupid. I had no idea what I was doing, and neither did the boy with me. Willow enlightened me years ago, then I fell and was born again, and now I have no idea what’s going on. So, if I’m your last hope - or any hope at all - then you need to find a new one.”

  “Will you show me?” she asked.

  “Can you see?”

  “Not in the way you perceive...I need your blood.”

  “How much?”

  “Charlie!” Aden said, reaching to pull me closer, completely appalled.

  “Just a drop. Your essence is all I need. I’ll be able to see the catalyst, see who among us will become like you.”

  “It’s OK”, I said, leaning away from Aden. I wanted to understand this, and if all this woman needed was a drop of blood, I was going to give it to her. I reached my hand toward her, and she took it gently.

  “Stop!” Aden said.

  “We need to understand this. She can help us with Draven. I know she can.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t care about the blood. She just can’t hurt your fingers; we may have to change and play that song Monroe showed you.”

  “Just a prick. I wont hurt them,” Perodine said as the knife in her other hand pierced my fingertip. I couldn't ev
en feel it; the calluses from where I played were too thick. As my blood dripped into the chalice, smoke climbed out.

  I sat back, not understanding what was in there beyond my blood and ash. I could smell sage and something else that had a deep musk odor to it.

  Perodine’s eyes moved across the smoke at a rapid speed, then all at once the smoke was gone.

  “Well...?” I asked.

  She sat the chalice down beside her, then looked down as she searched her thoughts. “He’s not the head of the snake.”

  “Donalt?”

  She nodded. “And, child, you were not a foolish girl in love. You have fallen more than once.”

  “What?!”

  “I’ll need more time, more blood to see that far back. What I do know is that you saw this day coming. More than likely, you’ve been blind to most of it. Someone - maybe even you - has put a wall up. You forgot on purpose, but that didn’t halt your path. You followed a sea of coincidences that led you to Silas, to my daughter, then your last fall...and now here.”

  I hesitated as I took in her words. In the last twenty-four hours, my life had been completely flipped upside down, and I didn’t have time to understand any of it; I didn’t know if I wanted to. “I may be blind to what was, but not to what I need now. I need to conquer The Realm. It calls Draven and a host of others. I need to protect whatever power Monroe has from falling into the wrong hands. Can you help with any of that?” I asked.

  “No,” she said quietly. “But you can.”

  “How?”

  “Your soul is older than mine. The answers are inside of you.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Love, I suppose,” she said as her eyes cascaded over Aden.

  “Love for Draven, his brother, right?” I asked, noticing her stare, not understanding why they kept looking at him like that.

  She didn’t answer me; instead, she reached for the book beside her. “We don’t have time to teach Willow to see or to prepare her for what’s occurring at this moment, but I think I can open a door for her to step into The Realm.”

  “What’s occurring?” Aden asked.