Mother and Father.
She ran her fingers over the Mother stone as if attempting to feel warmth from it. Her head dropped as she closed her eyes.
Dom and I watched her in silence, realizing how powerful the moment must be for her. In our abrupt planning, we hadn't taken a moment to consider what she had walked into—her family plot.
I swallowed hard, feeling unprepared for what might happen next. But then my focus moved to the stones at the rear of the graveyard. Before I could take a step toward them, Courtney cried out, as if in pain.
She stumbled through the overgrowth and landed on her knees in front of Millicent's stone. Reaching across to touch Gertie's as well, her head sank as her shoulders shuddered with grief.
"It's not here," she cried. "Why is it not here?"
I shot a confused glance at Dom, and we stepped closer to Courtney.
Through her sobs, she lifted her desperate gaze to us, and I gasped at the level of anguish that tore across her face. Her suffering was greater than any I'd seen in her, and she'd suffered more than any I'd ever known.
She let out a huge exhale, and her chest sank into a deep hollow.
"It's not right," she cried. "It wasn't supposed to be this way."
"Courtney?" I stepped closer, studying her face. "What is it?"
She turned her head away in disgust. "I have no stone," she spat. "I never existed to them." Her voice trembled along with her hands as something switched within her eyes.
"Wait, Courtney," I soothed. "There has to be an explanation."
"Stop!" she blasted. "The explanation is clear. I. Don't. Exist."
She lowered herself between Millicent and Gertie's stones and buried her face in the moss. Lying face down, she settled into a slow, steady breathing pattern.
I turned to Dom with wide eyes. He shook his head as if to say he hadn't expected her reaction. And neither had I.
I stepped closer to him and whispered, "Should we continue? You know, should we still do it?"
He glanced toward the stones at the rear of the plot and then back at Courtney. With a nod, he said, "Yup. This is all a part of it. Whether we expected it or not, it's a part of the truth."
I moved to the back of the cemetery without saying another word. It was nearly too dark to see at this point, and I stumbled over roots and bumps.
"Let's start the candles before we lose the light completely," I said, looking through the treetops at the final streams of gray illumination.
Dom opened his bag and pulled the contents out.
“I want to save the flashlights for emergencies only,” he murmured.
I held the light from my phone over the pile of supplies and then beamed it toward Courtney. She remained in her motionless position on the ground as if she were dead.
Fumbling with the lighter, Dom's hands shook. "I don't even know what we're doing anymore."
As the words escaped his lips, a strange sound bounced through the trees around us. At first, it sounded like distant rocks banging together. From all sides, the clacking continued at random moments, causing our heads to shoot in all directions.
"What is that?" I whispered.
"No clue," Dom said. "Maybe deer? Antlers banging together?"
Another crack of rocks pulled our attention at the same time. We stared into the darkness of the trees, holding our breath and listening with every fiber.
With trembling hands, I set the candles between our stones and searched for the lighter.
"I have it," Dom said, striking flame.
He lit the two candles as I reached for the bundle of the lost pages.
Setting the t-shirt across the ground, I unraveled the pages on top of it. Spreading them out, I placed the first sheet on top of the others.
Staring at the words of the Incantation of Souls, I whispered to Dom. "Should we do this?"
He swallowed hard. "I don't think we have a choice," he said, glancing back at Courtney, splayed in the grass.
"Shit," I mumbled as terror mounted within me.
Another crack of banging rocks reverberated around us from all sides. Then another.
"It sounds far away," Dom whispered. "I think we're okay."
"Okay," I breathed. "Let's begin."
With low voices, we recited the words on the worn page. We found our rhythm quickly and began a slow, rolling chant. The steady lull of our tone sent my mind to a place of tranquility and clear thought.
I allowed images and flashbacks to stream through my consciousness without filter. Every event took its turn playing through my mind, from our first encounter with the Dark Witch, to our journey through the portal, and then our time at the Dawson farm. Every event revealed itself to me as a reminder of our purpose.
And then a specific moment flashed across my sight.
It was the moment when we were escaping the Dawson farm, chased by the hysterical villagers. Courtney's image shot clear, highlighting the instance where she had stolen the pages of the spellbook from the root cellar.
The pages had traveled through time, becoming lost in their disembodied freedom. But Courtney found a way, again, to get the pages to me. Her numerous efforts, over the centuries, had led to this specific moment in time.
She had known all along what she was doing.
My eyes lifted from the page as Dom continued to chant the spell. The words began to flow from my mouth again as if memorized to perfection. As our voices lifted through the trees in a vibration that filled every space, my eyes widened as a dark figure moved through the woods toward us.
My heart rate jumped as I studied the form for details of Shane.
The face was shrouded in darkness, and the body covered in a heavy cloak.
The sound of my voice shifted to shrill, causing Dom to glance up at me. As soon as he saw the look in my eyes, he followed my gaze into the woods.
His chanting stopped short as he spat, "What the fuck is that?"
I kept the chant going through my panic as I kept my eyes locked on the figure. Its slow movement toward us switched in an instant and without warning, it barreled directly at us.
I launched over to Dom to get out of its path, and as it entered the boundaries of the cemetery, it shrieked as if being burned.
Falling back out of the perimeter, the figure hovered, moving side to side. Just as we regained our balance, we focused on our assailant.
"It's her," Dom muttered. "She's come to stop us."
My heart nearly pounded out of my chest.
"She can't enter the boundaries of the cemetery," I whispered.
"No. But that also means we're trapped here."
I turned to see Courtney and gasped as she stood behind us, staring at the hovering figure of the Dark Witch. Her eyes were wide with focus, and her chest heaved with short breaths.
"Millicent," she shouted.
The form turned to the sound of Courtney's voice and focused on her.
"Millicent, you bitch! You were always a witch!" Courtney cried.
I lifted my hands to try to stop her and whispered, "No, Courtney, don't aggravate her."
She ignored my caution and continued her taunting.
"You had no right!" she spat. "You brought misfortune on our entire family. Your careless ritual. It was your child. You had no right to summon the power of darkness upon us!"
Courtney's words jumped around my brain, confusing me with their strange accusations.
The figure of Millicent shuddered in the shadows. The cloak rippled with motion while darkness surrounded the area within the hood.
As I kept watch to see what Millicent might do, Dom's voice shot my attention back to our altar.
He resumed chanting the words of the spell, and in an instant, I joined in. Our voices rose together, filling the forest with the vibration of our assertive tones.
The louder the chant grew, the more agitated Millicent became. She moved across the perimeter of the graveyard, back and forth, like a nervous panther. I strained to see her face
and as she crossed to the edge of the plot, my focus shot to a structure in the woods behind her.
Hidden deep within the trees, its sharp roof cut into the mist of night. A subtle glow hovered at its opening.
"Oh my God," I gasped. "The portal!"
Courtney's attention shot from Millicent to the portal. Her hungry eyes soaked it in as she readied herself to launch.
"Wait," I whispered to her.
Turning to Dom, I watched him to determine what he was planning. His lifting heels and cracking knuckles made it clear.
We were going to make a run for it.
"She'll get to us before we can run that far," I cautioned, imagining the feel of her bony fingers gripping onto me. "She'll never allow us to make it."
The witch hovered at the edge of the cemetery as if listening to the woods around her.
"While she's distracted," Dom murmured. "It's our only chance."
Courtney snuck closer to us as we prepared for the break. I quickly gathered the lost pages into a bundle and tucked them into my pants.
With one more glimpse at the position of the witch, we noticed her focus to be on something new.
Dom reached for our hands and took a huge inhale. Just as his legs prepared to bolt, a voice broke through the trees.
"Stop!"
Laney's cracked voice was unmistakable.
The Dark Witch twitched in its direction and moved toward it.
"Stop!" she cried again. "You don't know what you're doing!"
"Now!" Dom squeezed our hands and pulled us into a sprint.
We jumped the low wall of the cemetery and flew toward the portal.
Dom's speed and strength pulled us along with him as my feet barely touched the ground. I glanced back as my legs carried me forward and watched as the Dark Witch whirled around Laney in a dance of recognition and intimidation.
Laney froze with her head down as the Dark Witch inspected her.
"Keep going," I urged.
The glow from inside the portal guided us through the overgrowth as we plowed through twigs and creeping branches. I tripped on a fallen branch, and it snapped under my weight.
My shoulders lifted to my ears as I cringed in panic. Turning back again, I caught a glimpse of Laney and the Dark Witch as their attention shot to us. As terror blasted through me, I stumbled on the uneven ground and staggered to my knees. My hand pulled out of Dom's grasp as his speed lurched him forward.
"Don't stop!" I cried, pulling myself back to standing.
My panic reached near hysteria as I heard the sound of Laney and Millicent coming for us. I stared, unable to move my muscles as the black cloak sailed through the trees effortlessly, ready to smother me.
Then my eyes connected to Laney's as she held her bead on me. Pure evil emanated from inside her with only one focus.
Stopping me.
With a final gasp, I forced energy into my muscles and launched myself up. At the same time, Dom grasped my arm and yanked me along with him.
With only a few steps to go, the three of us tightened formation and ran straight into the portal.
The whipping wind grabbed onto us, whisking us into a cyclone of bright light and thunderous sound. My senses mixed into themselves, creating an overwhelming surge of information focused in just one region—my mind's eye. Vision, sound, touch, taste, and smell—everything meshed into one, generating a more profound experience of my surroundings. A powerful sixth sense generated from the melding of the other five.
As the spinning cyclone settled, I realized I was still holding hands with Courtney and Dom, and relief washed over me. The sense of union with my friends filled me with overwhelming hope, but there was more.
I felt wiser.
I could see with a new level of focus.
The portal had shifted something within me as if it awakened my supernatural gifts to a new level.
"Are you guys okay," Dom's voice resonated through the wooden walls of the hut.
I blinked to clear my vision and saw their faces through the settling dust.
"I'm okay," Courtney coughed.
"Me too," I said, practicing the use of my heightened senses. "Better than okay. Everything feels so raw, so crisp."
I stepped to the opening of the portal and glanced out. My eyes squinted against the bright light of day.
"It worked," I gasped. "It's daylight."
Dom and Courtney leaned through the opening with me, and together, we stared into the new day.
Chapter 15
We stepped out of the shaking portal and studied our new surroundings. Glancing back into the hut, I scanned the interior to be sure Millicent and Laney hadn't followed us—they had been so close behind. I prayed the portal had closed before they could enter.
The woods around us appeared familiar, assuring us we were in the right location. What we didn't know was whether we were in the right time or not. The only way to find out was to head in the direction of the Dawson farm.
My nervous twitch returned as I considered what we might face when we got there.
If we were too late again, the sisters would be gone.
Shane would be shot.
But if we had arrived before the harrowed events, then we might have a chance at changing them.
"What's our plan?" Dom asked. "If we're back in the time we hope to be, we can't just traipse onto the homestead looking like this." He looked down at his clothes and then shook a foot that held a new Nike Air on it. "They'd think we were aliens."
I huffed in amusement, realizing we hadn't planned well for when we actually got here. Our focus had been on whether it would be possible or not. And now that we'd arrived, we had no clue what to do next.
"If we can get to Shane first, he'll help us," I said.
"Something tells me it's not gonna be that easy," Dom murmured. "It's different this time. We're not just passing through. Our intentions are more specific now."
He was right.
We'd come to change the course of events, and that mission complicated everything.
"That's right."
My head shot in the direction of the unexpected voice.
Then, from behind the wooden structure of the portal, Laney stepped out from its cover.
We jumped back as if seeing a ghost. We hadn't anticipated her presence, and the shock of it left us speechless.
"You're not the only ones who can use this gateway," she seethed, rubbing her hand down the side of the wood panels.
I shot my eyes all around us to be sure the Dark Witch hadn't come with her.
"Where's Millicent?" I spat.
"Oh, please. Don't you get it? She can't come to a place where she already exists. The dimensions remain linear, Brynn." She shook her head like I was daft.
"Why did you follow us here?" I blasted.
"To stop you, of course. It's been my goal all along." She rolled her eyes. "Why would I allow you and your group to interfere with my family?"
This time, I shook my head at her.
"You don't get it, Laney. We intend to help your family. How are you missing that?"
"Help my family, by destroying it?" she barked.
"No, by saving it," I shot back. "We're here to stop the tragedies, Laney. The injustice. It's not right what happened here. We at least need to give everyone a chance to determine their own fates. And we have the power to do it, so why not use it?"
She fell silent for a moment, then said, "You have no idea what the ripple effect will be. These events have given my family the power that it has."
"Yeah, power for evil," Dom interjected.
Laney sent him a death stare. "Power nevertheless." She glanced back at me. "I won't let you take it from us."
With that final comment, Courtney stepped out from behind Dom and me and faced Laney. She stepped right into her personal space and poked a finger into her chest.
"I make the rules now," she stated, pressing her finger harder into Laney. "This is my time. My place. And you will back o
ff, bitch."
Laney's eyes widened from the unexpected confrontation.
Dom stepped next to Courtney and added, "And it's my time. My place. We are the ones to decide, not you."
My heart stopped short. Dom's words had sent my mind into a blur.
He glanced at me with a worried brow, knowing that he'd exposed more of himself than he was ready to.
Dom had history here.
I always knew it, but I just didn't know how to believe it.
I swallowed hard, watching Courtney and Dom take charge over Laney.
And then I realized, I too belonged here. Somehow.
My gravestone proved it.
The mark on my arm proved it.
I just didn't have memory of how I fit here, the way Dom and Courtney had.
I had to believe my purpose here was strong, though.
With a huge inhale, I stepped in-between them and stated with unwavering conviction, "Let's find Shane."
The three of us walked away from the portal in the direction we believed led to the Dawson farm, leaving Laney in our dust.
The forest appeared familiar; certainly, the same wood we'd just left, only more vibrant.
Dom and Courtney held their focus firm on the path ahead of us. Their powerful sense of direction kept us moving at a solid pace while Laney scurried behind us, attempting to keep up.
As their steps slowed ahead of me, I knew we were close.
Ancient symbols carved into the trees called out to me, assuring me I'd been there before. The strange feeling of deja vu couldn't be ignored, but at least this time, it could be explained.
Before long, the smell of a hearth fire tickled our noses, and we crouched as if by instinct. I half-hoped to smell venison stew or porridge on the breeze, but instead, burning pine was the overarching scent.
With steady whispers, we planned our next moves.
"We need to just observe at first," I said. "Remain hidden at the line of trees and determine what point in time we're at."
If we had arrived before the massacre, then we’d have a chance.
"I'll be able to approach them," Courtney said. "Being their little sister, I'm the only one they'll half-expect to see."
Urban Mystic Academy: Fourth Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 4) Page 12
