Swift

by Heather London

  Maybe instead of trying to think of a plan to stay in town longer, I should think of one to leave sooner. Maybe that would protect them. After work, I would have to go see Blake and his family. I would have to know what else could be done to safeguard the few people I had left from Isaac and Alex.

  Work dragged on. Every time I glanced at the clock, I hoped it was almost time to go, but each time only a few minutes had passed since my last glance. I was tempted to ask Ms. Donaldson if I could leave early, but a part of me was scared to leave, scared to go to the Harpers’ and hear what Blake would tell me about Isaac and Alex, about how he and his family may have been the portal that got them here to this time. Relief ran through me as I remembered that I would be training with Abby after work. That would steal my attention—for a little while, anyway.

  I tried to keep myself busy and began to unload a box of stuff that Ms. Donaldson had gotten out of the basement. She explained to me that the boxes were full of antique items from the courthouse that had been donated to the library. Ms. Donaldson wanted to put any important or interesting pieces out on display for the public to see. If you asked me, it seemed a little strange. I guessed it was a part of the town’s history, but it just seemed weird to want to keep items like that from the past. Ms. Donaldson had warned me to be careful as I sifted through the boxes, so I wouldn’t break anything.

  I carefully unveiled a magnifying glass and an old wooden gavel that I envisioned some judge using to order a hanging or something. The items seemed so old, and still I couldn’t help but wonder if they existed from the Harpers’ time. Then I couldn’t help but question, was it really possible that the Harpers had traveled from the past? It was still so difficult to wrap my head around that. There was a part of me, a large part, that did not believe all of this was happening.

  But I had proof. I knew the men in my dreams were not just figments of my imagination. They were real, and from what Blake had told me, in order to get my powers, they wanted to kill me. I also knew that Blake and Abby could fly and had powers beyond regular humans. Then there was me. It was just a few days ago when life seemed simple, boring, even—that was before I had known what I was and what power I possessed. But it was true I had magical powers, and Abby had shown me the other day. Sure the spell was simple, but I had moved a leaf and rock with my mind. I had levitated for thirty seconds. So even though a part of me didn’t want to believe all this could be real, it was, and the only thing to do was embrace it.

  “Meredith, are you okay?” Ms. Donaldson asked me.

  The sound of her voice made me jump. I hadn’t even realized I had zoned out. “Fine,” I answered, shaking my head back to the present.

  She looked skeptical but turned and headed back down toward the basement to retrieve more boxes.

  The longest day in my working life thus far ended, and I was eager to begin my training with Abby and see Blake. But as I walked out of the library, I realized that I would not have to wait long. There he was sitting on the bench, staring off into space. He had not noticed me, and for a minute, I got to stare at him and forget everything about what I had learned the past couple days. Forget that I was a witch, an Astoria to be more exact, and forget that he and his family were sent to protect me and teach me the ways. Oh, yeah, and forget that there was someone out there trying to kill me. For a moment, I pretended that he was just an incredibly good-looking guy waiting to walk me home and nothing else … that he was just a guy that I was falling head over heels in love with. But the moment didn’t last for long. His head turned, sensing my presence, no doubt. His eyes met mine, still holding the same fear in them as that morning.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Hi,” I said as he approached me.

  A small smile broke across his face.

  “I was not expecting to see you until later. Did you convince Abby to let me have the day off?” I asked, now just hoping for another night alone with him.

  “Something like that,” he responded.

  “I think my knees and hands could use a day off. Plus, I don’t think my brain could handle any more information right now anyway. She can cram as much as she wants into my brain tomorrow. I think a night off is just what I need right now.” I was rambling, and I realized that I was nervous. It had been a long time since I felt nervous around Blake, but the look in his eyes caused fear to flow through my veins. And what made me even more nervous was that he was not talking, like he was afraid of what he would have to say.

  “Well, what would you like to do? We could go to your house and hang out,” I suggested.

  “My house is not a good idea right now. That’s why I had to get out of there. How about your house?” he asked, looking down at the ground as though not wanting to meet my eyes.

  I swallowed hard. There was something different between us. I felt like my insides were being torn out. “Sure, Aunt Rose and Jack are still gone. They won’t be home until tomorrow afternoon.”

  He nodded. Every part of me wanted to grab him and hold him. I wanted to take away the pain that he was so clearly feeling. Even though I wanted to know what that pain was, hoping that I could help, I was scared to know. Instead, I settled on just being with him.

  It was not difficult to notice that our walking had been relegated back to the way it was in the beginning. We walked a foot apart, and when I would try to get close and hold his hand, he would just adjust the distance, not allowing us to touch. A part of me wanted to demand what was going on, why he was acting so different toward me, but I had a feeling that I was going to find out soon enough.

  “I talked with my family about my theory,” he said once we stepped in the door of my house. “And after much thought, they think I have a point. They believe that our coming here has done nothing but bring more evil into your world. We brought the one thing we were trying to keep away right to your doorstep. If it wasn’t for us, none of this would have happened. Isaac would have never gotten so close.”

  My stomach dropped. “But how can you be so sure? I mean, he would have found a way sooner or later. You all couldn’t have known. You all were told to come here by … by my mother. So it couldn’t have been wrong, could it?” I swallowed hard, hoping he would agree with my logic.

  “No. We believe the Council’s intentions were good, just like ours. The Council sensed you were in danger but they didn’t know specifics. I don’t think anyone could have predicted that Isaac and Alex would be able to penetrate our magic and use it against us. Now it makes a little more sense that Isaac came to my family and I those nights, the way he was going on and on about you. He must have been doing that intentionally, trying to provoke the Council to send someone to help you. He must have known that he couldn’t get to you alone. He knew he needed more powerful magic in order to get here.” He looked at me with concerned eyes that also held something much deeper, a longing consumed with sadness.

  There was only one way I knew to stop the emotions crossing his face. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. It seemed to be working; I could feel the energy and safety that I had been longing for coming back. I could feel it in the way he kissed me. Then his kiss was more urgent, more passionate than we had ever had before. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Then I felt him beginning to pull away.

  When I looked into his eyes, I saw they held even more sadness than before, and I couldn’t understand why. I knew he felt guilty for bringing Isaac and Alex to my time, but it was fine. I was fine. More than fine. I had finally figured out the secret of my life. Now I had Abby to teach me, Annette and Samuel to guide me, and … and …

  “No!” I gasped. “No, you are not leaving me!” That had to be what he was thinking. That’s why his face held so much grief.

  “Meredith, please let me—”

  “Explain?” I yelled, cutting him off. I had no idea where my anger was coming from, maybe from the many years of holding anger in, anger at the people I loved for leaving me. “No, you can’t leave. There’s no way
I’m letting you. They were going to find a way to get to me. You and your family saved me. If it weren’t for you, I would probably be dead by now.”

  “Don’t talk like that, Meredith,” he said shaking his head.

  Anger rose from deep within in me. It was clear that I was prepared to say whatever I had to in order to get them to stay. “Do you think leaving is going to stop them? No! They are just going to find another way, and then you all won’t be here to protect me or teach me how to protect myself. You can all stay. We can all stay here and fight when they find another way in,” I said desperately.

  But I could read his face, and it said that their minds had already been made up. “We have to leave. It’s the only way to keep you safe. The only way to stop them is to go back to our time. They won’t be able to remain in this time without our power. Alex and Isaac don’t know you have summoned your powers. We can force them back to our time and take care of them there. That is the only way to know for sure that it’s done.”

  My heart felt like it was being ripped out and my entire body as though it was about to crumble at any second.

  “We are so sorry. I’m so sorry—”

  “Stop,” I interrupted him. “Please. Just stop. Don’t apologize for coming here. Meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Don’t ever forget that.” My voice grew softer with each word.

  “Meredith, you are misinterpreting what I’m saying. Do you not understand what danger you are in? What evil is out there tracking you? Of course I don’t regret coming here; I would never in a million years regret meeting you. I will always remember this as the best summer of my life. But the only way for you to be truly safe is for us to leave,” he finished.

  I tried hard to contain my emotions, but it was hopeless. The tears came out so quickly that I could not make out any words.

  Blake pulled me in and held me close. I knew that I was fighting a losing battle. I knew that no matter what I said or how hard I begged, there was no changing his mind. It took everything in me, but I composed myself. I had to ask the question that I knew no matter what the answer was, it would be devastating to hear. “When do you have to leave?”

  “Soon. Before the sun rises,” he whispered. “You know that I would never leave you unless it was a matter of life and death. You know that I would stay with you if I could. But my family needs me right now, they can’t do this without me.”

  I pulled myself together before answering. It was selfish of me to continue this guilt trip I was putting him through. It’s not like I wanted him to feel bad for leaving, but there was no controlling my emotions now.

  “Of course, I know that they need you,” I said in between sobs. “It’s just … that I need you, too. I need all of you.” I could feel myself getting angry. Not angry at Blake, but angry at the world, at the universe, at magic, at evil. I had already had so many people I loved taken away from me. Hadn’t I suffered enough? Was wanting Blake too much to ask for?

  “Please, Meredith, look at me. I can’t stand this pain I am feeling and knowing the pain I have caused you. You have to believe me, when I came here, I had no intention of finding someone like you and certainly not falling in love.”

  He grabbed my chin and pulled it up in order to look me in the eyes. That was the first time he had said it when I was meant to hear it, the first time he had said he loved me.

  “Coming here was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I will find a way for us to be together again. Time will not keep us apart, I promise you that.”

  “Blake, please don’t make a promise you can’t keep. It will just make it worse.” I tried to shove back the tears. “I don’t want to spend our last hours—maybe ever—talking about empty promises. Can we please talk about something else?” The tears that I had so masterfully held back began to pour out again, and this time I could not suppress them for anything in the world.

  Then a crazy thought popped into my head. Even though I knew it was a long shot, I tried, anyway. “Blake, please take me with you. I can help.” My voice rose with each word.

  “If I thought it was the best thing for you, of course I would take you—but it’s not the right decision.” His voice was firm. “You just started your training, and it would put you in too much danger. It would be a risk for you and us to have you there.”

  I couldn’t speak; all I could do was hold on as tight as possible.

  We lay on my couch all evening, just holding each other. I knew the feeling of safety from being in his arms would soon be gone, and I wanted to enjoy it while I could.

  I felt Blake take in a deep breath and let out a sigh before he began to speak. “Meredith, I have to go.”

  At that moment, I knew he was really leaving, and I felt an overwhelming hunger to know as much as possible about what would become of him, even though deep down I knew I was just delaying the inevitable.

  “What are you all planning to do? You have to tell me something, I have to know something …” I said, standing myself and following him to the door as he got up to leave.

  “Shh.” He held his finger up to my lips in order to quiet them.

  He wiped the tears from my cheek and moved the hair out of my eyes as he lightly traced the curvature of my face, beginning at my temple and all the way down to my chin, ending at my lips. Then he kissed me, gently at first, then more urgently. I felt the burning desire start in my stomach and work its way up all the way to my lips. After being so exhausted from the last few hours of crying, it was as though my heart was revived as it began to beat again at full speed, so fast that it almost burst out of my chest. He pulled back and held me in a tight embrace.

  After a few deep breaths, I was finally able to look him in the face. Somehow I was able to control the stream of tears that so badly wanted to escape again. “What am I supposed to do without you?” I spoke, my voice raspy from crying.

  “I will be back for you soon,” he promised.

  Soon? Was that all he could give me? I guess it was a lot to ask for a specific date and time … but soon seemed so indefinite.

  “The days apart from you will be the hardest days of my life.” I sighed, placing my forehead on his chest. “You have no idea how much I will miss you.”

  “Oh, I think I will have somewhat of an idea,” he spoke softly in my ear.

  “Promise me something?”

  “Anything.”

  “Promise me that you will never forget me.” I spoke as clearly as I could. “No matter what.”

  “That is definitely a promise I can keep.”

  “Tell Abby, Annette, and Samuel thank you—for everything.” I choked back my tears.

  After one last kiss, he opened the door and turned to walk away. Not able to move, I stood there in the doorway, watching his figure slip deep into the shadows of the night. I couldn’t help but hope that he would come back for one last kiss, one last goodbye. But as much as I wanted it, I knew it would just be more painful if he did.

  When I finally dragged myself back inside, I was too tired to wash my face or brush my teeth. I just crawled into bed and curled up into a ball, holding myself as tightly as possible. The emptiness, the solitude, and the pain were overwhelming. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, hoping that Blake, Abby, Samuel, and Annette would find their way back to their time safely. What if something went wrong on the way back and they never made it? What if this was all just a trap? What if Alex and Isaac had planned this all along? What if they were waiting for them to leave so they could have me all to themselves? Were there more witches out there? Now that my powers had been summoned, would they try to get to me? I wondered if magic was a part of my time like it was in their time. Did other witches exist around me?

  I lay there thinking of a million questions, knowing they would probably all go unanswered. The only people in the world who knew anything about me, the real me, were not just in some other city or state. They were in an entirely different century. As much as I tried to fight it, I knew th
e reality. There were so many things that could go wrong and keep him from ever coming back. I tried to not think those thoughts. Instead I tried to focus on the positive one: that he could come back … He had promised me that he would.

  The hours after he left were torturous and allowed me no sleep. So I stared at the ceiling, and my thoughts drifted to Blake, Abby, Annette, and Samuel. I thought about what they were risking to save me. Why? I wondered. I am no one. They say that I am this all-powerful Astoria, the most powerful witch to exist in two hundred years, but all I can do is move a leaf and a rock with my mind. I can’t fly or say the simplest of spells without difficulty. Abby, who was supposed to my teacher, left after only three days into my training. How am I supposed to be this great and powerful witch and help save the people who now mean so much to me?

  Light was beginning to break through my bedroom window, and I knew that it was the start of a new day, even though I hadn’t slept. But the day felt different. I knew that Blake and his family were gone.

  I also knew that Aunt Rose and Jack would be back from their honeymoon that day, and I would have to explain myself if I couldn’t dry my tears. My alarm rang out, startling me back into reality, letting me know it was time to get up and go to work.

  Chapter Twenty

  I performed the bare minimum morning ritual, brushing my teeth, washing my face, and changing my clothes. I just didn’t have enough energy in me to do much else. When I opened the front door, a part of me hoped to see Blake there, leaning against my tree, waiting to walk me to work. But of course he wasn’t. He was in some other time, some other century trying to fight some evil to save my life. Ugh, it was just so difficult to wrap my head around.

  Ms. Donaldson eyed me suspiciously all day, but she didn’t ask me any questions. Regrettably, work flew by. Deep down, I knew why—because I had spent the whole day worrying about what I would do when Aunt Rose and Jack came home. They would be back from their honeymoon, expecting me to be the same girl they had left a few days ago, the same girl who was still planning on leaving soon to go to London. But I wasn’t that girl anymore. My plans for London were definitely on hold. I mean, how I could leave when Blake had promised me he was going to come back for me? I had to at least give him a chance to keep his promise. Plus, I had this whole new life that I had not known about before. It made sense to stay until I got it figured out. Now I just had to find a way to explain that to Aunt Rose and Jack.