by Allison Sipe
“I’m sure,” I said, unable to look directly at him. “But what does this mean? What ability are you talking about?”
“I think you might be a Soothsayer.”
Chapter 12
Robert rushed me off the beach. When I asked where we were going, all he said was that there was someone we needed to talk to. He called Brett on the brisk walk home from the beach and told her to expect company. We reached my car in record time and I tossed the keys to him. Still dizzy and a little shaken from the vision, I thought it best not to get behind the wheel.
As we drove up the coast, I wondered if my ability really was manifesting itself. God, listen to me, I scoffed internally. How any of this was possible, I had no idea. And why now? If I was The Waker, why hadn’t I ever shown signs of an ability before?
“You coming?” Robert asked, opening my door. I was so deep in thought I hadn’t even realized we’d stopped.
“Where are we?” I asked, looking around a large garage.
Before he could answer, Annabel, Robert’s sister-in-law, shimmered into view right in front of us.
“What the…” I said and froze halfway out of the car. Where did she come from?
“I thought I heard someone in here,” Annabel said. Her shoes clacked on the floor as she made her way around the front of the car. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had someone with you.” She glanced in my direction and came around to my side of the car.
“You really should be more careful, Anna,” Robert noted. Disapproval radiated off of him. “What if it hadn’t been Violet with me?” He reached his hand into the car for me to grab onto but I hesitated.
“Oh please, Robert. When was the last time you ever brought someone home with you?” She rolled her eyes and snickered as she pushed him aside. “Why don’t you try to unclench and relax?”
“It’s alright,” he whispered to me and reached his hand a little closer.
I hesitated, then took his hand and got out of the car.
“It’s so nice to see you again,” Annabel said, giving me a quick hug. “Sorry about just dropping in.” She winked with a playful grin on her face.
“Annabel,” Robert began. His voice was stern and carried an air of authority.
I knew Robert was special, that he could do things others couldn’t, but Annabel too? When did it end? I felt the anxiety start to pick away at my insides the way a ravenous vulture picked at the bones of an animal carcass.
“Alright, alright,” Annabel said, raising her hands in surrender. “She’s waiting for you in the living room. She arrived just a few minutes before you.”
“Who’s waiting?” I asked, looking between the two of them.
“Bethany.” Annabel motioned for me to follow her.
“Who’s Bethany?” I looked all around with confusion and worry as I followed her into the house.
“She’s a very gifted Soothsayer.” Annabel exaggerated the word ‘gifted,’ her voice thick with adoration.
“A Soothsayer?” I asked, nervous. I looked over my shoulder for Robert as we made our way down a small, dark hallway. Somehow through all this chaos, he had become the one person I could rely on. “Don’t worry,” Robert whispered into my ear and placed his hand on my lower back. “She’ll be able to tell if you have the gift or if they really are just fantasies.” I could hear the smile in his voice and my face flushed at his words. I was glad that he was walking behind me and couldn’t see the blood rush to my cheeks.
“I’ll be with Jake upstairs if you need me,” Annabel said, looking over her shoulder at Robert and then disappearing right in front of us. I stopped in my tracks. One second she was there, and the next she was gone. Seeing her disappear like that was the creepiest thing I’d ever seen. It was like a soft breeze came by and just whisked her away.
“How does she do that?” I asked now that she was gone. I didn’t know how to react to anything anymore. Was it normal for people to just fade in and out of existence?
“I’ll explain later,” Robert said and nudged me along.
We rounded a corner and passed the grand staircase. The house looked just as beautiful as it had the day of the wedding. It seemed less festive without the flowers and ribbons but beautiful nonetheless. Their house gave off a very regal feel, like every piece of wood had its own secrets to keep.
“Aunt Beth?” I said, stunned as we walked into the living room. “What are you doing here?” I smiled and made my way over to her. I hadn’t seen her in years. We’d stayed in touch for a while after I graduated college, but life got in the way and now we only exchanged cards on our birthdays and Christmas. I wrapped my arms around her, hardly able to believe she was actually here. Her floral perfume brought back so many memories and I couldn’t help but feel like a little kid again. She reminded me of happier times, of the family I no longer had. I frowned, all of the sudden realizing how bittersweet it was seeing her again.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Bethany said as she smiled at me and held me at arm’s length, taking all of me in.
“Aunt Beth?” Robert asked, frowning at both of us.
“Yeah, she’s… wait… that means you’re…” I stammered.
Realization set in. My Aunt Beth was Bethany, the Soothsayer we’d come here to see.
“Magical? Yes I am,” Aunt Beth chimed.
I looked at Robert, puzzled. “Did you know?”
“No,” he said, walking over to me. He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Go easy on her, Bethany. She’s having a hard time handling everything and it's already been a long day.”
“Well it’s no wonder. If her parents had listened to me…” Aunt Beth said and sighed. “No matter. I’ll fill you in, come along with me,” she said, putting her hand on my back and urging me to walk with her. Robert let his hand fall from my shoulder but followed us to the French doors.
“I’d like to talk to Violet in private,” Bethany noted as she opened the door.
“But she…” Robert protested.
“I know it’s your duty to protect her but she’s safe with me. She deserves to hear this from family and I think a little privacy would be best. If she wants to share what I tell her with you then it will be her choice to do so.” She spoke with an air of authority I’d never heard in her voice before.
Robert bowed his head slightly, a gesture of submission I didn’t expect, then looked at me. Concern dominated his face and without a word, he turned and walked away.
“Come along, dear,” Aunt Beth said, holding open the door to the backyard.
We walked to the large swing bench overlooking the ocean and sat down. I smiled to myself, remembering Jake and Annabel on this very swing, her white dress flowing around them as they gently swayed back and forth. So much had happened since that day. I sighed.
The swing was old but well taken care of and years of wear had smoothed the dark wood. Ivy covered the polished, wooden frame holding up the swing. It was as if the swing was a part of the yard and had sprung up right out of the ground. The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky, making the nearby sea sparkle as it swayed to the beat of Mother Nature.
I pulled my legs up onto the swing and wrapped my arms around the rope tying it to the frame. A small shiver made its way down my back. I wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or the cool ocean breeze.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around for you,” Bethany finally said, placing her hand on my knee.
“It’s okay. I don’t know if it would’ve made any of this easier if you were,” I replied.
She smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. She was worried and was trying to hide it.
“Robert said you weren’t handling things very well?” she added.
“How am I supposed to handle all this?” I shook my head. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and it’ll all have been a bad dream.”
“I’m afraid it’s not a dream. Everything Robert’s told you has been the truth.”
I let out a long sigh. “I know.” I�
�d known deep down Robert was telling the truth. It was simply difficult to accept that truth. “I just feel like my whole life has been a lie.” I looked at my aunt for comfort. I may not have seen her in years but she was still family and that in itself was comforting. There was at least one person in this world I was linked to in an irreversible way.
“Violet, this is just another chapter in your life, not the whole story. You’re still you.”
“Am I?”
“Of course you are,” Aunt Beth said, caressing my hair.
“I don’t know how to do this. I mean, I’m starting to accept everything that’s happened but..." I trailed off. The anxiety that had been building in me all afternoon nearly tore through my calm façade. I could almost feel my insides squirm as I fought to keep control.
“You will with time.” She smiled and brushed a stray hair out of my face.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know,” she said with a sly smile.
“So you’re a… Soothsayer?” I asked, remembering why she was here in the first place.
“Yes and so are you.” She gave me a patient nod.
“And my parents, they had… I mean, they were…” I trailed off, unable to bring myself to ask if my parents had Magical powers too.
“Yes, they were Magical, and very gifted I might add,” Bethany answered, looking past me. A calmness washed over her and I saw her body visibly relax into the swing. Something had changed her, made her less rigid than before.
“But why am I only hearing of this now?” I asked, feeling the tension leave my own body in response to her calm.
“We didn’t tell you because your parents wanted you to have a normal life. I tried to tell them it was impossible but they wouldn’t listen.”
“A normal life?”
“You were born a healthy normal child. You didn’t have a Magical soul. It happens from time to time in Magical families.” She waved her hand dismissively. “But you’re different.”
“Different how?”
“You’re The Waker. The day you were born, I had a vision that showed me who you would become.” Her lips turned up and her eyes softened as she looked at me. “It didn’t matter how hard they tried to shelter you. You were always going to be a part of the Magical world. Albeit, I didn’t quite know how it was going to happen.”
“But if I wasn’t born with a Magical soul then how can I be The Waker?”
“Ah, that’s exactly what your parents used to say. You may not have been born with Magic but you have a Magical soul now.”
“I do? But… how?” I asked, looking down at myself. I searched my body for some sign I was different now.
Aunt Beth looked up behind her to see Robert standing on the balcony, looking out over the water. “Because of him,” she said, turning back to me with a smile.
I turned toward the balcony. Robert leaned against the railing, staring out over the water. I let my gaze linger on him. He really was beautiful. I couldn’t imagine not having him in my life anymore. He turned his head my direction before I could turn back to my aunt. His eyes caught mine and the corner of his mouth pulled up into a smile. I tore myself away from his gaze and bit my bottom lip in an effort to hide my own grin.
“But what does he have to do with my soul?” I asked and tried to compose myself.
“When he healed you, a piece of his soul infused with yours and vice versa,” Aunt Beth explained, looking back up at Robert with a hint of a smile on her lips. Nothing got past her.
“How is that even possible?” I moved my hand to my chest. Was a piece of Robert really inside me? Is that why he has such an effect on me?
“The world is full of possibilities. You just have to know where to look for them.” A small chuckle escaped her throat.
“Does that sort of thing happen a lot, souls infusing?” I asked, unsure of how it made me feel.
“No, it doesn’t. But, one of the most famous cases involved King Arthur.” She raised her eyebrows and a secretive grin pulled at the corner of her mouth.
“You mean, that story about him being healed by Merlin is true?”
“So you’ve heard the story, then?”
“I may have done some googling after Robert healed me,” I said sheepishly.
She laughed, “I’m surprised you were able to find anything.”
“I thought it was just someone’s fan fiction. I didn’t actually think it was true.”
“It’s all true.” The corner of her eyes wrinkled as she smiled. “Which brings me back to you and Robert. You weren’t born with a Magical soul because you were always meant to get your Magic from him. The same way Arthur got his magic from Merlin. It’s why the visions didn’t start until after he healed you.” Her joy was almost tangible.
“You know about my visions?” A part of me was holding onto the hope that my imagination had just been getting the best of me lately.
“Of course I do. It’s why Robert wanted to speak to me.”
“How did you know? We were on the beach and-”
Aunt Beth raised her hand to interrupt me. “I always know.” A wicked smile turned up the corner of her mouth.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been keeping tabs on the two of you. So when I saw you had left the beach to come talk to me, I made sure I was here.” She smiled like it was perfectly normal to see things before they happened. But then again, I guess it was normal for her.
“Robert is very protective of you. He’s worried about how you’re handling everything, but you’re a strong woman and it’s time for you to step up and accept the Magical side of you,” she said with as much love as she could, while still getting her point across.
“So that’s it? I have a Magical soul now and I just have to live with these visions?” I asked.
“Yes, but you can learn to control them.”
“I don’t want to learn to control them, I want them to go away!” I yelled at her and stood from the swing, making the hinges creak as the bench swung back and forth.
“Violet, calm down.”
“No, you don’t get to tell me to calm down! You haven’t been a part of my life for years and now, now you come back just to tell me to suck it up. Don’t you get it? This is my life we’re talking about!” I turned my back on my aunt and walked over to the railing lining the backyard.
“Exactly. This is your life and you need to start taking it seriously.”
“I’m taking it as seriously as I can, given the circumstances.”
“I know it’s not fair to drop all of this on you and expect you to just accept it.”
“You’re damn right it isn’t fair!”
“I know, but you do need to accept it.”
“Are we finished?” I asked, turning back to look at her. She still sat on the swing, calmly waiting for me to return.
“Not quite. Please, come and sit down,” she said, patting on the swing.
“What else is there to talk about?” I spat at her.
“Your parents.”
“What about them?” I crossed my arms. She was the one person left alive who knew my parents and I wanted to hear anything she had to say about them, but I didn’t want her to know how eager I was to talk. I was too frustrated about everything else.
“You need to know the truth about how they died,” Aunt Beth added.
Her words shot through me like ice water in my veins. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. The truth… what truth?
“There was a car accident and-” my voice shook as I struggled for words.
“No, there wasn’t,” she interrupted me. “Come sit.” She patted the seat next to her.
I walked back to the swing, slowly, feeling the weight of each step.
“What do you mean there wasn’t a car accident?” I sat down next to her, in shellshock.
“You’re not going to like this.” She pursed her lips.
“What really happened to them?”
“They were mu
rdered.”
I looked at my aunt in disbelief. Why was she doing this? My parents died in a car accident. They weren’t murdered! There was a whole investigation and the police found no foul play. They’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Let me show you,” Aunt Beth sighed and reached for me.
“Show me?” I asked, moving away from her grasp.
“You have to understand, I did what I thought was best for you. I was just trying to protect you.”
“What on Earth are you talking about?”
“I altered your memory so you wouldn’t be burdened with the truth.”
“You what!” I yelled at her. I jumped off the swing and backed away from my aunt. I had never felt so betrayed in all my life.
“Violet, you hadn’t talked in weeks, not a word to anyone. I had to do something. I couldn’t stand seeing you in so much pain,” she implored, begging me to understand. She stood up from the swing and took a step toward me.
“Wait, what do you mean I didn’t talk for weeks? I spoke at their funeral.”
“No, you didn’t.” She took another step toward me.
“Yes, I did,” I said, stamping my feet and holding my ground. I remembered how hard it was for me to walk up to the podium and talk in front of all those people, the pain in my throat as I spoke.
“Just let me show you,” she said, closing the gap between us and raising her hands to my temples.
“No, what’re…” I pushed her hands away from me and backed away.
“Violet, please. You’ll understand once you see. Please, let me show you.”
I studied her face a moment and searched her eyes for any sign she might be lying. My whole world had been turned upside down and I didn’t know what or whom I could believe anymore.
“How could you?” The word barely escaped my lips.
“I was just trying to protect you,” she lamented.
“How were you able to erase what really happened?” I asked, trying to control my anger.
“With Magic.” She exhaled and put her hands in her lap, composing herself. “Everyone in the Magical world has the ability to learn and strengthen the Magic within them. Changing someone’s memory isn’t easy, but with discipline any Magical person can do it.”
