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

by Allison Sipe

  “I’m not alone. Just because I don’t have blood family doesn’t mean I don’t have people in my life that I care about.” I pulled my hand back and placed it in my lap.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. New topic?” He leaned back in his chair and took a bite of his bagel.

  “Sure.” I took a sip of my coffee and let it warm me from the inside out. Despite it being a beautiful day, I felt cold to the bone.

  “So, how well do you know the Maxwell family?”

  I froze, my donut halfway to my mouth. Did he know something about what happened?

  “The Maxwell family?” I managed to sputter out.

  “Yeah, Becky said you two worked that wedding. I figured you had an in,” Ian explained.

  “Oh, well no. Annabel hired me to photograph the wedding but I’d never met them before that.” I felt like I was walking on thin ice. He narrowed his eyes as if analyzing my every word.

  “Interesting family aren’t they?”

  “How so?” I sipped my coffee, playing it cool.

  “Well you know how it is, wealthy families always have skeletons in their closet.” He let out a low chuckle but the set of his jaw was serious. He was definitely up to something and the compulsion to tell him everything I knew about the Maxwells was taking over. The more I fought against the feeling, the stronger it got.

  His phone rang, startling us both, and he excused himself from the table. I let out the breath I’d been holding and I could feel the compulsion to divulge any more information slowly fade as he walked away.

  He stood out of earshot but his face was serious. Whoever was on the other end of that phone meant business. He looked my way and the corner of his mouth turned up in a handsome smirk.

  He hung up the phone and in a few long strides returned to our table. “I’m sorry to do this, but that was work and I have to run,” he said.

  “Oh okay, no problem.” I tried to suppress my sigh of relief that this nightmare was almost over.

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. My heart kicked up a notch with the skin to skin contact and I tugged my arm to escape.

  He leaned in close, whispered, “Until next time,” and gently kissed my cheek before he walked away.

  An overwhelming sense of dread filled me from head to toe.

  The moment he was out of sight, I felt the tension in my body release and my head begin to clear. Never again was I going to let Becky set me up on a blind date.

  With that thought, I made my way to her place to give her a piece of my mind. She may not like being alone, but I’d rather be alone any day than spend another moment with a guy like Ian.

  I was still feeling uneasy when I pulled up to Becky’s place and had to take a minute in the car to gather my thoughts. I knew she would want a full report and I didn’t know how I was going to explain my strange morning with Ian.

  Brett’s warning sounded in my head about keeping everything a secret and somehow this felt connected.

  Braving myself for the onslaught of questions, I walked up the brick pathway to her front door and knocked.

  “Hey,” Becky bounced with excitement when she opened the door. “So, how was the morning with Ian?”

  I sighed. “Ugh, I would rather have had a root canal. Thankfully he got a phone call and had to run off.”

  “I’m just glad you followed through and went out with him. And see, the world didn’t end,” she laughed and threw herself down on the couch.

  “Sure, but never again, you hear me? No more blind dates, no more Ian. Never again.” I curled up on the loveseat across from her.

  “We’ll see. It really couldn’t have been that bad.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know, it was kinda weird. There’s just something off about him.” I stared at the ceiling.

  “You always do this, you know. You have to find something wrong with every guy you go out with.”

  “No, I'm serious this time. He kept asking all these personal questions. It was like he was trying to find something out about me.” I exhaled in a heavy sigh and let my head fall back against the couch.

  “You don’t think that maybe you’re overreacting a bit?”

  “No, I mean he was nice enough, but he really gave me the creeps today.”

  “What could he have possibly done to creep you out so much?”

  “Like I said, he asked me a million questions about my family and how I ended up in Pismo,” I retorted. I knew Becky wouldn’t believe me right off the bat because she was right; I did find something wrong with every guy I went out with.

  “He’s just trying to get to know you.” Becky waved her hand dismissively.

  “That’s what he said too but it was all wrong. It’s like he already knew me and was trying to confirm it. But the worst part was the way he looked at me.”

  Actually, the worst part was feeling like I had no control over my own words, but how was I going to explain that to her without sounding like a lunatic.

  “The way he looked at you?” Her brow creased as she straightened up and leaned toward me.

  “It was… intense,” I said, sitting up. “It’s like he was sizing me up, watching my every movement.”

  “So he just stared at you?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “He never took his eyes off me the whole morning. It was like those National Geographic shows, where the lion stalks his prey.”

  “You really mean it, don’t you?” she asked, leaning back in her chair.

  I nodded. “Something was definitely not right.”

  “You’re biting your lip. What is it?”

  “What he said before he left, ‘no parents, no siblings, no husband, you’re all alone.’ It sounded like a threat.”

  “He said that to you?” She nearly shot out of her seat. Now she was concerned.

  “And he asked me how well I knew the Maxwell family.” I couldn’t keep it in. I knew I couldn’t tell her the whole truth about the Maxwells, but I needed someone to talk to.

  “The Maxwells? What do they have to do with anything?”

  “I don’t know, he seemed to think I was close to them for some reason.”

  “Are you?”

  “No, you know that,” I snapped, surprised she’d even ask.

  “I don’t know, ever since the wedding you’ve had a wall up. If something happened with them, with Robert, you know you can tell me.”

  I frowned. I knew it was a bad idea to bring them up. “Nothing happened. They just…” I paused, unsure how to finish that sentence. I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell Becky anything more.

  “Violet, talk to me,” my friend pleaded.

  I let out a heavy sigh. “They helped me after I was attacked. That’s all.”

  “And you think Ian knows something about that night, is that what you’re getting at?”

  “I think so. Why else would he pry into my life and ask about my connection to the Maxwells? It can’t be a coincidence.”

  “I don’t know, Violet. This all sounds crazy. I think you’re still shaken up after everything and I'll admit, maybe pushing you to go out with Ian was a bad idea.”

  “We can agree on that. And maybe you’re right, maybe I’m just making connections where there aren’t any,” I said and shook my head. I hated that I had become so paranoid and grunted with frustration, though the fear remained.

  “And maybe you were right about me meddling in your love life.” Becky’s comforting smile returned. “I’ll try not to push you too much anymore.”

  "Uh oh, are we talking about Violet's romantic endeavors?” Aaron announced as he walked into the living room, sat down next to me and turned on the TV

  “No, we’re not,” I said, stretching my legs across his lap.

  “I just want to see you happy, you know that right?” Becky asked, ignoring my attempt to end the subject.

  “I know.” I smiled back. “When I'm ready I'll find someone, I will." A small part of me thought of Robert
, but I pushed his image out of my mind.

  “At the rate you’re going, you’ll end up a crazy cat lady,” Aaron laughed, trying to ease the tension as he scrolled through the guide on the TV.

  I tossed my head side to side in mock laughter and kicked him. “All I need is the bathrobe,” I said.

  “And curlers,” Becky added, standing up, “Anything to drink?”

  “I’ll take some water.”

  Aaron selected a channel and the news blared to life, “Four people were found dead in San Francisco this morning with what appeared to be some sort of markings on their foreheads.” I looked at the TV and a drawing of the marking they were referring to replaced the newscasters face. An underlined triangle came into focus first, then a fancy ‘M’ with a dash through the middle line sat below the triangle “Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Francisco police.”

  “I hate the news, it’s always so depressing,” Aaron said changing the channel. A familiar cartoon character bounced across the screen, “Much better. So tell me, Miss Evans, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” He gave me a hopeful grin.

  “Depends, what did you have in mind?” I returned his mischievous smile but the image of the triangle and ‘M’ made me feel uneasy. In the shadows of my mind I felt like I’d seen it before but couldn’t recall the memory. Nick, my ex had shown me weird markings and symbols that he used in his ‘group’ to purify themselves, but this looked nothing like what he’d shown me.

  “Well, seeing how this is technically my vacation, I thought we could go to the beach, maybe do some surfing.”

  “You know I can’t surf,” I laughed and tried to focus on the here and now. Whatever the marking was, it wasn’t my job to figure it out. I had enough on my plate at the moment without worrying about some ritualistic murders.

  Aaron had tried to teach me to surf a few years ago and it was a disaster. I never stood up once and even took him out a couple times.

  “Hah! This is true. It’ll be nice to get out of the house though, and you and Becky can hang on the beach.”

  “As long as you don’t try to get me on a board, I’m down.”

  “Deal.”

  Even though it was late in the day, Aaron was still able to get a few good waves in. Becky and I relaxed on the shore as I got some much needed work done. I looked over my notes for the Caltome Vineyard shoot I had coming up as Becky sunbathed in a two piece that was more dental floss than a bathing suit. I was excited to have my next big shoot at a winery and it was nice that my life was getting back to normal. Being in the sun and breathing the fresh ocean air made me feel lighter. It was the perfect way to unwind after my morning with Ian. I almost felt normal again as I sipped some of Becky’s famous homemade lemonade and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my skin. Maybe my life could get back to normal after all.

  Chapter 6

  I unlocked the front door of my studio, anxious to get some work done. I had a lot to catch up on and really needed a day without interruption. The mail had piled up on the floor beneath the little metal slot in the door and I collected it onto my desk to sort through as I entered my office.

  An envelope with just my name scrawled in perfect cursive made it to the top of the pile. I set everything else down on my desk and flipped it over. No return address, no stamps, weird.

  I held it up to the light, peering at the contents and wary of white powder, but I couldn’t see anything through the envelope. I shrugged and tore it open. Only one way to find out who it was from.

  Violet -

  Meet me at the end of the pier. 12 o’clock.

  I think it’s time we finally had that talk.

  -Robert

  My heart bottomed out somewhere in the pit of my stomach. So he was back. I wasn’t sure this was a good thing or not. I had just started putting what happened behind me and getting back to a normal life; I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet him.

  I glanced at the clock. It was eleven, which meant I had an hour to drive myself crazy. To go or not to go?

  I paced around the studio trying to decide what to do. I desperately wanted answers to what happened that night, but couldn’t decide if those answers were worth opening still-fresh wounds. Spending time with Becky and Aaron had lifted me out of the fog and back into my life before the attack. Did I really want to rehash everything and start the healing process all over again? I thought about calling Becky, but what would I say to her? I was keeping so much from her these days she probably wouldn’t be able to give me any advice.

  Back and forth, back and forth. I wore a path in the wooden floors. I looked up at the clock again: eleven-thirty. Time seemed to be in fast-forward, closing in on me to make a decision. Every reason to blow him off I came up with felt foolish and immature, but that fear always remained, keeping me in an ever-present state of indecision. I knew I wanted answers, but deep down I was afraid of what those answers might be. I wish I had someone to talk to, someone who could offer support. Unfortunately Robert was the only one I could speak openly with, without fear of ending up in a straight jacket.

  And with that, I made my decision. I needed to face this head on. Hiding from the truth would get me nowhere.

  The pier was only half a mile away and I still had thirty minutes, so I decided to walk and try to catch my breath. A million questions floated in and out of my mind as I stumbled down the street. Turning the corner a fresh ocean breeze crashed into me and sent my hair flying in every direction. The musty aroma of salt-laden humidity filled my nose clearing all the doubts from my head. I could do this. I was going to get answers and I was going to be okay. I’d been through hell and back when I lost my parents; nothing Robert would say could shake my resolve.

  A newfound strength came over me when I reached the pier, stepping along the boards with purpose as I searched for Robert. A lone figure sitting on a bench facing the water soon came into view. I knew it was him. I took another breath to steel my nerves and made my way to the end of the pier. He stood as I approached and turned to face me.

  “I see you got my note,” Robert said with a smile. “I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure you would.”

  “I wasn’t sure if I would either,” I remarked, shuffling my feet.

  “Have a seat.” He gestured to the bench and ran his hand through his hair, his smile turning into a nervous grin. What did he have to be nervous about?

  “So, you wanted to talk.” I sat down and looked out over the water. I needed to stay strong but for some reason my resolve always crumbled like stale pound cake around him.

  “Straight and to the point, huh?” A slight chuckle escaped his throat.

  “Yep.” I kept my focus on the ocean, wanting this over as quickly as possible.

  “Well, I have some information on the man who attacked you. I don’t know how helpful it is, though.” He stared at the horizon.

  “What kind of information?”

  “I talked to the boys back home and they confirmed who sent your attacker.”

  “Who was it?” My nails dug into my thigh.

  “His name’s Aiden Patridge.” His jaw clenched into a hard line.

  “Now that we have a name, we can go to the police.”

  “No we can’t. This isn’t a problem they can solve. Aiden, he’s different…” he hesitated and licked his lip, “like I’m different.” His brow raised as he looked at me and I nodded in understanding.

  “Okay, so what then?” I brushed the hair out of my eyes.

  “It’s complicated, Violet. Aiden’s a dangerous man and now that he knows I healed you-”

  “Healed me?” My heart pounded like a battering ram against my chest as I interrupted him. This was it; he was going to tell me how he saved me.

  “Yes, you see,” Robert said, taking a deep breath before continuing. “He needed confirmation that you’re The Waker. When I healed you, it was all they needed to know to move forward.”

  “Yeah, you’ve called me that before but I have no idea w
hat you’re talking about.” Rolling my eyes I shook my head.

  “That’s not important right now,” he said, finally looking at me. An anxious expression furrowed his brow as his lips formed a hard line.

  “So let me get this straight. We don’t know who attacked me, but we know who sent them. And they didn’t kill me because they wanted you to heal me and confirm I’m The Waker?” I uncrossed my legs and counted on each finger the new pieces of information.

  “Exactly.” Robert smiled with relief.

  “Robert, what the hell are you talking about?” I threw my arms in the air. Maybe I was wrong in coming here. Clearly I wasn’t going to get any real answers out of him.

  “You’re special and because of that, you’re at risk. We both are now,” Robert said, as if that clarified anything.

  “All the crazy aside, you’re saying someone actually wants to hurt me?”

  “No, they want to kill you.”

  “But why? I don’t understand?” I pinched the bridge of my nose.

  “You’re meant to do great things, Violet.” Robert gently pulled my hand from my face. “But some people, like Aiden, will stop at nothing to make sure you can’t interfere with his plans.”

  Chills ran over my skin at the harshness of his voice. I sighed and tried to think rationally about everything he was telling me. “Alright, so how did they confirm that I'm The Waker,” I rolled my eyes at the title, “just by you saving me?”

  “Because if it wasn’t you, I wouldn’t have exposed myself.” His shoulders stiffened and he fiddled with his fingers.

  “You would have let an innocent person die?”

  “Violet, you have to understand…“

  I stood and took a few steps away from the bench. “Answer the question.” My voice and body shook with anger.

  “Yes,” he said and stood, closing the gap between us. “Because you’re all that matters. You’re all that’s mattered for hundreds of years.” He wrapped his hand around my elbow and guided me back to the bench. “Now please sit down so we can talk.”

  “But how can you stand by and watch someone die when you have the ability to save them?”