by Suzi Davis
Walter reached for me then and grabbed my shirt sleeve, tearing the fabric in one rough movement and leaving the length of my arm exposed.
“Proof of her ability,” Walter declared to the Others victoriously. The black marks left behind from the Binding spell twisted and spiraled up my arm and around my shoulder. Some of the Others looked surprised and uneasy as the black design was revealed. David studied me calmly, his handsome face expressionless still.
“Yes, but we have no clue as to her intent. We have encountered the reincarnate soul of Caoilinn before and she has never once proven to be a threat, avoiding Seamus with ease in exactly the way we have wanted. One would almost think that she didn’t want her magic to be reawakened, that she didn’t want to be found by her long-lost love,” David added cruelly, watching Sebastian’s reaction as he spoke.
The shock was clear on Sebastian’s face, the denials hanging wordlessly upon his lips. He silently shook his head, a cold fury burning in his eyes.
“You should be happy, Seamus,” Charlie commented with a twisted smile. “By keeping you apart for so many years, we also spared her life. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to be so this time.”
Sebastian stiffened, glaring at Charlie in a way that did make me afraid, afraid of what he might try to do. I was suddenly glad that the Others were preventing Sebastian’s wants from being immediately fulfilled, sensing the dark violence and hatred that was clearly tainting his current wants.
“Caoilinn,” David began, his hard, black eyes focusing on mine. I swallowed hard, squeezing my necklace even more tightly in my palm to try to stop my hands from shaking.
“My name is Grace.”
David fixed me with a glare that made my knees tremble. He stared right through me, his eyes burning down to my very soul.
“Caoilinn, I need you to answer a few questions for me. I want you to answer truthfully.”
“Don’t hurt Sebastian, please,” I begged, interrupting him once more. I could see I was trying his patience but I didn’t care. All that mattered to me was that Sebastian was safe.
“I want you to answer truthfully,” he repeated, ignoring my pleas. The intensity of his eyes and voice increased. Sweat beaded upon my brow. “Can you control your magic?”
“No,” I answered immediately and automatically, the response springing to my lips before my mind could even process what had been asked of me.
“Are you capable of learning to control your magic?” Nathaniel jumped in, with his surprisingly soft voice.
“No,” I repeated, speaking automatically and without thought again.
“Will you master your powers in this life?” Darius demanded.
“No.”
They didn’t look satisfied; they all glared at me suspiciously and warily still. Walter was visibly fuming, his face full of contempt. Only David appeared calm and collected. “I don’t want to master my powers,” I added honestly, wanting to convince them of the truth and wanting so badly for there to be even the smallest chance that they would let Sebastian and myself go.
“She lies!” Walter hissed. David dismissed his comment with a slight wave of his hand.
“She can only speak the truth as we want her to. Do not question our abilities, young one,” David cautioned. He didn’t even glance Walter’s way as he spoke, but Walter still visibly paled, even beneath the sun’s unrelenting heat. David turned to face Sebastian. “As long as she is not a threat, she will remain unharmed. But I cannot promise the same for you, old friend. We have a score to settle.”
Sebastian visibly relaxed upon hearing David’s words, despite the threat of the latter pronouncement.
Darius flexed his muscles threateningly, his expression hard and cold as he stared Sebastian down.
“For the crimes you have committed against The Order, you will be punished. We cannot permit for you to live any longer, especially now that you have been doubly-bound to Caoilinn and her magic has reawakened,” Darius slowly pronounced. Somehow the sound of my gasp carried clearly and unnaturally through the air, each and every set of eyes turning to meet mine.
“No,” I whispered, panic flooding through my body as I realized I could no longer move.
“I’m sorry, Gracelynn.” Sebastian’s eyes filled with tears as he spoke. He looked away from me to stare down David, his gray eyes burning with fire. “If any harm ever comes to her, I swear I will find out. I will hunt each of you down and rip apart your souls. I swear it,” he repeated, his voice soft yet terrifying.
David nodded amicably, looking almost amused at Sebastian’s harsh, half-whispered pronouncement but the others were all visibly unsettled, shifting uneasily as the wind howled around us.
“No,” I repeated, my voice a little stronger this time. Once again, the sound of my words somehow cut through the wind and rose above the crash of the waves against the ancient basalt stones. Nathaniel eyed me uncertainly, his gaze flickering back and forth between Sebastian and I.
“Release her now,” Sebastian calmly requested, his voice tight and strained. “She doesn’t need to see this.” He didn’t even bother to look my way. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was furious and terrified and sick to my stomach. The wind howled even louder, its intensity seeming to grow with the power of my emotions.
“No, she stays.” Walter placed a cold, bony hand on my shoulder, his touch increasing the rigidity of my frozen muscles to the point of near pain.
“She will not be harmed but she must witness what is about to happen to you,” Charlie announced with a sickening smile.
“No,” Sebastian gasped, the fear returning to his eyes in a sudden flash.
“Her soul needs a reminder of why it is in both your best interests to remain apart, in this and every life to come,” David explained patiently. I wanted to scream and cry out loud, to beg for their mercy, to offer myself in place of Sebastian but I suddenly found myself unable to speak. My vocal chords were frozen in place, bound as tightly as the rest of my muscles. My soul screamed in outrage and fury, rising with the powerful, howling wind. “Let’s get this over with. Step forward, Seamus,” David commanded in a soft and almost seductive voice. Sebastian’s face was taut and white as he complied, his movements jerky as he obviously strained to break free from the Others’ control.
Walter’s hand tightened on my shoulder, his fingers digging into my flesh and bones in a way that should have buckled my knees in pain – if I could have moved. As it was I couldn’t even cry out.
I stood there, completely frozen and helpless as I watched Sebastian step forward, his back to me the whole while. We never even had the chance to say goodbye. I should have felt more afraid, I should have felt more heartbroken but as it was, all I could feel was a steadily rising, murderous rage that burned throughout every cell of my body. I began to tremble from the force of it, despite my inability to move. I was angry at Sebastian for giving himself up so easily once he thought that I was safe. I was furious at the Others for not only separating Sebastian and I now but for admittedly keeping us apart for hundreds upon hundreds of years. I was enraged that any of them might hurt him and disgusted that they were forcing me to stand by helplessly, to watch. And I was livid with myself, for not being strong enough or brave enough to take control of my magic and to live up to my destiny.
I could feel the fire burning in my eyes as I glared at Sebastian’s back, willing with all my might for him to stop, for him to turn and break free, to run. All the heat and noise and sensations of the world began to slip away from me as my eyes focused and unfocused on the design of the large tattoo on his back. The lines appeared to almost shift and shimmer before me in the heat, a new pattern emerging from the detailed design of which I had never before been aware. The wind howled in my ears and a soft, sweet voice from thousands of years in the past whispered into my ear, “Trust and feel the pattern.”
The answer was on the tip of my tongue, the power within me flaring into a wild and swirling rage, my necklace burning red hot int
o the flesh and bones of my hand.
Sebastian suddenly dropped to his knees before the Others, his back arched as he howled in excruciating pain. Walter laughed softly in my ear, obviously thoroughly enjoying not only Sebastian’s pain but also my own. Scarlet blood began to trickle from Sebastian’s nose and ears as he thrashed against the ground. His eyes briefly met mine, his expression wild with pain while his screams carried on and on. His tormented cry abruptly cut off as blood poured from his mouth. I feared he had bitten off his own tongue as he flipped onto his back and stared straight up into the blinding sun.
The world became red hot again, the terrifying anger burning brightly throughout my body and soul at the sight of Sebastian’s ruby-red blood. My eyes fell upon the tattoo on Sebastian’s chest, the intricate Celtic knot that lay over his heart. The design shifted and shimmered as I now knew it would and a new pattern emerged and unraveled before me. I knew exactly what to do.
“You should stop now,” I warned. My voice was unrecognizable even to me. The deadly calm with which I spoke was both terrifying and commanding. My voice sliced through the air as it never had before, my soft words booming against the jagged cliffs and crashing into the tumultuous waves.
Darius and Walter laughed together cruelly. Charlie and David completely ignored me, only Nathaniel looked concerned.
“She shouldn’t be able to–” he began, but he was too late. My lips moved without me ever moving them, my voice spoke without me uttering a sound.
“Five of you may be powerful enough to stop me – but four aren’t,” I announced in that chilling, deathly voice. I spun around faster than I had ever moved before, than I had ever thought possible. I released all of my fury, all of my power and simultaneously gave up and obtained all of my control as I grabbed Walter by the throat. The fire within me burned hot enough that I wondered how I wasn’t consumed by its power myself. I wasn’t afraid anymore though and so I took control. I embraced the powerful anger and darkness within me and directed it into the carefully formed lines of the pattern I had just seen. I did it easily and automatically, as if I had a thousand times before. Walter’s expression was unexpected, almost comical in its disbelief. The shocked and puzzled expression was only briefly present in his eyes before they glazed over and he crumpled to the ground at my feet. The world was abruptly silent and still.
Chapter Nine – Ghost from the Past
I stared down at Walter’s motionless body feeling oddly detached and numb. The world around me was silent still, the wind banished, the waves paused, the silence not one of peace but one of emptiness alike what was inside of me now.
The Others were all frozen, unable to move any part of their bodies except their eyes, just like I had been moments ago. I ignored them all as I glided over to Sebastian’s side, kneeling down on top of the hard, rocky columns beside him. I felt like I was moving in a trance as I checked his pulse and listened carefully to his shallow breathing. I even tipped open his jaw, checking his tongue and feeling vaguely relieved to find it was only badly bitten but already rapidly healing. I ripped my remaining shirt sleeve free and dipped it in a salty pool of water on top of one of the columns nearby. He opened his eyes as I began carefully wiping the sticky blood from his face and neck.
“Gracelynn?” His voice was faint and hoarse. He looked up at me in confusion, rapidly trying to take in the scene around us as I helped him to sit up. His eyes focused on Walter’s motionless body. “What have you done?” he whispered. I could tell he was shocked and concerned. I hadn’t expected him to be watching me so warily, as if I were a danger to even him.
I ignored his question and turned to the four of the Others who stood around us, frozen but still watching and listening.
“Forget us and sleep,” I commanded and they collapsed to the hard ground as one, hitting the rocks heavily but without the cracking sound of breaking bone.
I felt my own legs tremble, the last of my strength suddenly threatening to leave me. Once again the world shimmered before my eyes but this time it was from exhaustion. I numbly sat down on the ground as Sebastian stood up and went to check Walter’s body.
“He’s dead,” Sebastian quietly announced. He was staring at me in disbelief, his face pale and drawn. I ignored him, focusing on slowly breathing in and out, letting the sounds and sensations of the world slowly return to me. Sebastian leant over Walter, noticing something upon his chest. He began carefully unbuttoning Walter’s shirt, revealing the black twisted knot that had been burnt into his pale skin above his still and silent heart. I barely glanced at it – I had known it would be there. I thought I heard Sebastian gasp.
Sebastian moved to check each of the Others, checking their pulses and the skin over their hearts, just in case. I knew they lived, I knew they bore no marks. I had only knocked them unconscious and blocked some of their memories. It was a relatively simple spell that would leave no marks. Sebastian said something to me but his voice sounded far away. I heard him speak again, confusion and urgency in his tone.
“Gracelynn?”
I frowned at him, puzzled. I knew the name should mean something to me but it sounded strange and unfamiliar. My thoughts swirled dizzily and I teetered on the edge of consciousness as something deep within me stirred. He repeated the strange name and I ignored him still, struggling to figure out what was wrong. Where was I? What was I doing?
“Caoilinn?” he whispered.
“Yes.” The word sprang to my lips, my soul speaking without needing or wanting my mind’s control.
Sebastian froze, staring at me in shock. I stared back, numbly wondering over the beautiful contrast of his black hair, powder white skin and the dark, scarlet smears of his blood. He spoke in a whisper, his voice rough and smooth at once.
“Caoilinn? Why…? How did you…?”
“My spell book was full of drawings and designs. The pattern for each and every spell I knew was woven into your tattoos,” my voice explained. The soft, soprano tones were chillingly numb and in control. “To twist fate, to make something happen that isn’t naturally meant to be, you must know the correct design – the correct twist. Grace will remember now.”
“But how did you… how are you doing this?”
“Our time is up, my love. Grace will remember and explain.”
Sebastian’s eyes filled with panic. He rushed forward, grabbing my icy cold, numb hands. “No, don’t leave me yet. I…”
“I won’t ever leave,” Caoilinn’s sweet voice softly whispered. “Because I’ve already gone.”
I felt the last of my strength slipping away from me like a dandelion seed tossed up in the wind. My eyes rolled back in my head and the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the clear blue sky floating endlessly above me.
I had nightmares. I dreamt of terrifying things. I dreamt of murder – murder that I was pushed to commit and murder that I chose to. I dreamt of violence and a magic so dark and twisted, it left me trembling and screaming in fear. I dreamt of all the terrible and unspeakable things Caoilinn had done in the name of her Sisterhood to discover the patterns for her spells. I dreamt of death and confusion and despair. I dreamt of the look in Walter’s eyes when I killed him.
The transition from black dreams to bleak reality was confusing and blurred. I could feel myself stirring in my sleep, fighting the demons that haunted me from thousands of years in the past. I heard myself cry out and then I felt Sebastian’s arms around me. I felt his warmth, his steadiness, his firm and solid embrace. The tears came next, the endless tears. And I cried, and I cried, until my tears ran dry and eventually, I opened my eyes.
We were still at The Giant’s Causeway but I could tell by the angle of the sun that it was much later in the day, probably mid-afternoon. Sebastian and I were huddled together in the cool shade of a wall of tall, basalt columns. I could see and hear the ocean, I could feel the light current of the wind and I could smell the salt of the sea. There was no one else in sight.
I looked straight up
into Sebastian’s eyes, clinging to him tightly as I spoke.
“Where are the Others?”
“They’ve gone,” he quietly replied. He paused, examining my expression cautiously. “They began to awaken as soon as you collapsed. I barely had time to get us far enough away to hide – they didn’t look for us though. They didn’t seem to remember we were here. They took Walter’s body with them.”
For a second I thought I might throw up, the guilt and terror was so great. I forced the nausea back down though, forced myself to accept and face the truth.
“Walter. I killed him, didn’t I? Oh, Sebastian… I wanted to save you so badly. I couldn’t stand to see you in pain like that and then… I killed him. I wanted him to die,” I whispered, horrified at what I had done. “How could I do that?” And I burst back into tears.
Sebastian rocked me in his arms, gently stroking my hair until my sobs quieted. He tilted my face up, forcing me to meet his solemn and caring eyes. He gently kissed my forehead and then tenderly wiped the tears from my face with his thumbs.
“You did what you had to. You saved us. I’m so sorry you had to do it though, Gracelynn. I know what it’s like to have to take someone else’s life,” he reminded me with obvious reluctance. “There was no other way…”
“There was.” My voice came out so quietly I was surprised Sebastian even heard. He looked down at me, waiting expectantly. I couldn’t meet his eyes. I dropped my gaze to the rough, basalt stones that formed the precise, natural tiles we sat upon. “The Others weren’t expecting me to be able to use my ability at all – I could have done anything. I could have just knocked him unconscious, it would have been enough but it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted him to die for what he had done to you, for what he was doing to you. I wanted someone to pay for what we’ve been through,” I confessed. I spoke the truth with a chilling coldness that I could no longer blame on Caoilinn – it was all me.
