Soothsayer: Magic Is All Around Us (Soothsayer Series Book 1) (29 page)

“No coffee,” Ian said and took a step toward me, leaving only a small gap between us.

I put my hand against his chest to keep a little distance between us. Just the feel of him sent a jolt of nervous energy through me.
Where the hell was Annabel?

I tried to focus and open myself up to my Magic so I could see something, anything, from him, but I got nothing.

“
Tisk, tisk. You really think I wouldn’t be prepared for your little tricks?” Ian said, tapping his forehead.

“What tricks?” My voice squeaked and my stomach hollowed out. I stepped back toward the kitchen. Without missing a beat, Ian stepped forward and followed me as if we were a pair of dancers. He couldn’t possibly know what I was capable of. The last time I saw him
I
didn’t even know what I was capable of.

“Don’t play dumb with me. It really doesn’t suit you.” He followed me as I kept trying to put some distance between us.

“Really, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said as my nerves crept into my voice, making it sound like I’d swallowed a butterfly. I took another few steps away from him, placing the kitchen island between us. I could see the back door from where I stood and tried to think of a way to reach it before he reached me.

“Please,” Ian sneered and circled the island. I made a dash for the sliding door at the back of the house but he was on me in an instant. He grabbed me by the arm and turned me around to face him before shoving me against the cold, hard glass of the sliding door.

“You think I don’t know who you really are, Violet?” Ian whispered, his nose brushing against my cheek and his breath hot on my neck. I suppressed a shudder, determined not to let him see how terrified I really was. The smell of his cologne and body odor was so thick it choked me and left me fighting for clean air.

“What do you want from me?” I asked. The words barely escaped my lips as I tried to push myself closer to the glass and away from his invading body.

My right hand slowly made its way to the lock on the handle. Chills ran all over my body, along with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. He’d somehow blocked my ability to see, but I wasn’t completely blind. I could still feel the tenor of his future and it was surrounded by darkness and death. It wasn’t something I wanted to be a part of.

“Well, I want you, my dear,” he said, pulling back to look at me. He caught my wrist just as I flicked the latch to the unlock position.

“Don’t bother,” Ian said. The latch clicked back down into place without him touching it.

“You… you’re,” I tried to say, the words caught in my throat. He was Magical. Panic consumed me and left me frozen against the glass door.

“Yes, that’s right,” he interrupted. “Now you see why there’s no reason to bullshit me. I know all about you and the
Prophecy
.” He emphasized the last word with disgust. “I told you you’re different.” He smiled, reminding me of our blind date.

“What do you want with me?” I asked, trying to sound calm and in control but my voice barely came out as a whisper. My pulse raced and the sting of tears forming blurred my vision.

“Let’s not rush things. It’ll all be over soon and it’d be such a shame to fight the whole time.” He pushed himself against me, his hand still tight on my wrist and a disgusting smile across his face. “We had such a wonderful evening when I was in town. I think it’s time we move forward in our relationship, don’t you?” He pushed his lips hard against mine.

Rage and disgust replaced the panic and I hit him across the face as hard as I could with my free hand. His lips pulled back and his grip loosened on my wrist for a split second. I took the opportunity to knee him in the stomach and make a run for it. I got halfway to the door when Ian’s hands wrapped around my waist and he tackled me to the floor, pinning my arms down and pushing his body hard against mine. I couldn’t move.

“Don’t fight me, love. You’re on the losing end,” he promised as he pushed his hips harder into mine. “Now where were we?” His revolting lips landed on my neck and slowly made their way down the v-cut of my shirt. I squirmed under him, trying to free myself, but it was no use. He pinned me down with too strong a hold.

“Why are you doing this?” I begged, trying to free my arms as tears streamed down the side of my face. I just needed to keep him talking until Robert or Annabel showed up. There was no way Robert couldn’t be on his way with all the emotions running through me right now.

“Don’t you think we should finish up where we left off?” Ian asked, flicking his tongue against my ear.

“Where we left off? We never started anything,” I managed to yell as I tried to push him off of me with my hips. This couldn’t be happening; I had to get away from him!

“Didn’t we, though? After the wedding?” he whispered into my ear.

Fear and darkness surrounded me. For a split second, Ian’s mental guard slipped and everything around me changed. The world grew dark and foggy. I heard music playing in the distance. My eyes focused and I saw myself walking across the street to my car. I gasped, recognizing the scenery. I was seeing the night I was attacked! A man came out from behind a car and headed toward me. But it wasn’t just any man: it was Ian. Ian was my attacker! The scene shifted and I saw myself on the ground with him on top of me, my voice begging him to stop. I moved up close to make sure of what I saw, only to see the enjoyment and satisfaction on Ian’s face as he slid the knife into my helpless body. Blue light crashed into Ian and tossed him off of me.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I was back in the living room with Ian on top of me.

“That… that was you?” I squeaked, terrified. The man who attacked me and left me living in fear that he might return was… was Ian. My body rejected what my brain told it and I went numb. Everything came rushing back to me, the emptiness in his eyes at the Cantina, the detailed questions about my life. He’d been planning his next move all along. “But why didn’t… why didn’t you…”

“Why didn’t I finish you off then?” Ian asked, finishing the words caught in my throat. “I wanted to, but that filthy healer attacked me, before I could finish the job.” He brushed the hair tenderly off my face.

The blue light
, I thought. It was Robert attacking Ian with Magic.

My body finally caught back up with my brain and started thrashing against his, violently trying to get away. My elbow caught on the wooden floors and gave me a little leverage. Before I could push myself up though, Ian regained his hold on my arms and pressed me back against the floor. Our hip bones crushed together and it took all the strength I had not to cry out in pain.

“Why didn’t you just kill me when you drove me home after dinner?” I spat at him.

“I wanted to so badly,” he whispered, his breath hot on my face. “But once I reported that you didn’t have Magic, my orders changed. I was to find out as much as I could about you.” He bit down on my bottom lip, drawing blood as I tried to pull free. The warm, copper taste turned my stomach upside down and brought bile to the back of my throat. I fought to keep myself from throwing up and swallowed a mouthful of blood. “By the time I returned to finish what I started, Robert was all over you, protecting his little pet.” He seethed and scowled at me.

I pulled one hand free from his grasp and pushed on his shoulder, trying to force him off of me. Without skipping a beat, he grabbed my arm right as I swung to hit him, slamming it back to the floor. He slapped me across the face with his other hand. My eyes watered and I felt the blood from my lips trickle down my chin.

“He’ll never let you get away with this,” I vowed, turning my head back to look at him.

“I’m counting on that, love,” Ian said. He gathered both of my hands above my head, crushing my wrists together.

A burst of red light hit Ian and he flew off of me. Scrambling to me feet I made a run toward the front door where Annabel stood.

“Get down,” Annabel yelled and I threw myself to the floor as something flew over my head and crashed into the wall next to her.

Plaster exploded around the room as an orange globe formed in Annabel’s hand. She threw it at Ian and he jumped out of the way just in time.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Annabel said motioning for me to come to her.

As I stood, green tendrils of electricity shot past me and hit Annabel directly in the chest.

I watched horror stuck as she fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. “You’re not going anywhere.” Ian seethed from behind me.

“What did you do to her?” I dropped to my knees and crawled over to her writhing body.
Where the hell was Robert?

Ian leapt across the room and grabbed my arm. “You really should have stuck with the Healer as your body guard.”

He kicked Annabel out of the way, her body still convulsing and
dragged me toward the front door. His grip on my arm wasn’t as strong now that I had the rest of my body free. I kicked and squirmed until I slid from his grasp. I made a run for it but hit an invisible wall. Ian lunged on me in an instant and we rolled over each other on the floor. I ended up on top of him and pressed my forearm against his throat, cutting off his air supply.

He squirmed under me and then without warning an un-seeable force sent me flying across the room. I tumbled over the couch and slammed into the bookshelf. Several books fell on top of me as I scrambled to my feet. Before I could feel the pain from any of it, I jumped up and ran to the backdoor, sliding it open and stepping onto the balcony. I placed my hand on the ledge to jump over the veranda when Ian caught my arm and ripped me back inside, throwing me over the coffee table and onto the couch. I twisted off the couch, kicking the cushions to the floor as I hopped over the back and ran for the front door. I swung the door open but before I could take a step the door slammed shut in front of me with some invisible force of Magic.

“I told you. You’re on the losing side. It was a nice try, though,” Ian said as he stood up and adjusted his clothes.

I turned to face him, wracking my brain for a way out of this. Nothing presented itself. He was too strong to physically fight off and his Magic was far more advanced than mine.

“You don’t have to do this,” I said, shrinking back against the wall.

“Oh, yes I do,” he said, closing the gap between us.

I threw up my hands, focusing on creating a shield. I’d never needed it to work more than I did at that moment. He reached out to grab me when a transparent, golden veil appeared in front of me and blocked his hand. The colorful barrier was beautiful, and kept Ian from getting any closer. I sighed in relief and kept my focus on the shield.

“Very cute,” he said. Ian waved his palm in front of me and my shield disintegrated. “And now we’re going to do this without any more interference from you.” He grabbed me by the neck and cut off my air supply.

I clawed at his hand and tried to kick myself free but to no avail. The corners of my eyes blurred and my body started tingling. I kept kicking and pulling at his hands but the darkness soon closed in on me and my body went limp.

A low ringing pierced the darkness around me and my body jostled back and forth. Every inch of me felt bruised and tender as I bumped around on a cold, hard surface. My eyes refused to focus and my mouth tasted like salt and copper from the blood that had pooled on my tongue.

“Why didn’t you take the connection spell off her?” a familiar woman’s voice screeched.

I strained to focus my eyes but couldn’t see anything. My vision was blurry and when I tried to lift my head I felt like I would throw up.

“Because I want him to feel her die." A menacing grin spread across Ian's face.

My body bounced up and down as we hit a pothole. My head hit the floor and stars shot across my vision as I desperately tried to hold onto consciousness.

“You’re brilliant, you know,” the woman said. I could hear the admiration in her voice and it made me sick.

I tried to sit up again, only to fumble and slam into several boxes that fell over with a loud crash.

“I thought you said she was out?” the woman asked sounding annoyed.

“She was. I’ll handle it, just keep driving,” Ian ordered.

Ian grabbed me by my waist and I kicked him in the stomach. As I wiggled away from him, I slipped and my head crashed into the side of the van. Darkness bled into my vision as I fought to stay conscious.

“Bitch!” he exclaimed and grabbed me again. He flipped me over and pressed his full weight against me so I could barely move.

“Get off me!” I yelled and struggled to squirm free.

Ian slapped me hard across the face, stunning me into submission. My left eye watered and my cheek stung where his hand had caught me. He grabbed me by the neck and I clawed at his hands. Terror burst through me as I struggled to breathe.

“Cyspan,”
he said over me. My arms and legs went rigid.

He smashed my head against the van’s bare metal floor and my vision went black. He got off of me and kicked me in the ribs, sending me over on my side stiff as a board.

“Some Waker,” the woman huffed from the driver’s seat. Her low, cruel laugh was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

>>>><<<<

I woke up again with a splitting headache. Blinking my eyes open I realized I was sitting up with my back against something wooden. The ground felt soft beneath me. Water lapped at my legs and the even rhythm of the tide soothed me into a false sense of ease. My arms had been wrapped around a wooden pillar that dug into my skin where it had splintered. Turning my head I took a cautious look around. My vision was still a little blurry but I could make out the scenery by squinting. I was under a pier and facing the ocean. The rain had calmed to a light drizzle but the wind had picked up, bringing the dark, ominous clouds on the horizon closer with every gust.

Ian and the woman were nowhere in sight but I could hear muffled voices coming from somewhere behind me. I tried to pull my hands free but found it impossible. Whatever bound me to the pillar refused to budge. A million thoughts ran through my head as I tried not to panic. Robert should have reached me by now. I cursed myself for not asking him to spend the day with me. Peace and quiet seemed like the last thing in the world I wanted now. I searched my surroundings for a sharp rock or stick that I might be able to turn into a weapon but saw nothing but sand. How ironic that I might die on the beach when it had always been such a place of peace for me.

I pulled my legs in close in an attempt to keep them out of the cold water but the tide started coming in and I knew the water would reach me soon.

“Finally awake I see,” the woman said as she came into view and stood in front of me.

“Lila.” Horror gripped me.

“So Robert told you about me then.” She knelt down in front of me. “I'm sure he didn't tell you everything.” Venom coated her voice.

“What are you going to do to me?”

“Kill you of course.” She chuckled as if the answer was humorously obvious. “You see, you’re a burden to the Magical world and my father wants to stop you before it’s too late.” The corner of her mouth pulled up.

I shivered at her words. “Why doesn’t the coward do it himself?”

“How dare you!” she yelled and backhanded me across the face. The cut on my lip split open and started bleeding again.

I stared right back and spat a mouthful of blood and saliva at her.

Ian grabbed me by the hair and yanked me to the side so my face lay in the sand. “Stop fighting the inevitable,” he scolded.

I didn’t say anything. His grip on my hair made me want to scream out in pain but I refused to give him the satisfaction.

“Alright then,” Ian said and released me. He stepped back and tended to Lila, wiping the blood from her chin and smoothing her hair.

“We should start the ritual. It’ll be sunset soon,” Lila Patridge ordered. She stood up and pushed Ian away from her. Ian nodded and walked around the pillar behind me.

“What ritual?” I asked, afraid that Robert was nowhere in sight and I’d have to face my fate alone.

“That's none of your concern,” Lila spat.

I felt the Magic start to rise in me but couldn’t do anything with it. I was helpless and going to die. I wanted to cry but my pride wouldn’t allow me to show them anymore weakness. I pulled and pushed against my restraints but still they wouldn’t budge. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my temples, in my teeth and deep in my bones. My pulse beat with the ferocity of a caged lion. Each moment that passed, the magic inside me grew stronger and burned to be released. Fire coursed through my veins and like a volcanic eruption the Magic took over and exploded in a blistering fury.

Suddenly I was standing on the porch of the cabin. A car pulled up and skidded to a halt in the mud. Robert jumped out and ran up the porch to Annabel, who was still lying on the floor, but no longer convulsing.

Her checked her pulse and let out a sigh of relief. “Violet? Violet are you here, please tell me you’re here?” He ran from room to room searching for me.

“She’s gone, they took her,” Annabel croaked.

“Are you alright?” He said helping her to her feet.

“I’ll be fine,” she grimaced. “Just get Violet. I’ll orb home and get the others.”

“Alright, and contact Bethany, maybe she knows where they’re taking her.”

Annabel nodded, holding her side and vanished into thin air.

The rush of energy faded and I was back on the beach. Ian had just finished placing five stones around me. He recited some sort of spell and they all started glowing an eerie, soft green. I steeled myself and shook off both the fear and cold seeping into my soul. Help was on the way. I just had to stall them a little longer.

Lila approached me then with a small knife. She pressed my head against the pillar and began to carve something into my forehead. The wound stung as blood began to streak down my face and drip into the sand.

“Couldn’t you do this back in Yosemite?” I winced.

“No, the ritual draws power from the elements and the salt in the ocean acts as a binding agent. Once the spell is complete, all we have to do is wait for you to die." She looked over her shoulder at the water rolling in, "The tide should take care of that bit,” Lila said, relishing in her coming victory.

I looked down at the water. It had completely submerged my legs and now lapped at my waist.

“I’m ready for you, Ian,” she announced.

Ian bounded over to her and she handed him a green crude looking stone.

No, this can’t be happening. Where are they?
I pleaded.

They cupped the stones in their hands and the green light shone upon their faces as they began to chant, “
Ætniman hie sáwol.”

I kicked my legs and splashed water all over the three of us but they didn’t notice. The saltwater stung the cut on my face, but I could barely feel it. Adrenaline coursed through me in a desperate attempt to stop them.

“Áfeorsian hie æt gást léoht
,” they continued.

Something stirred in me, something unnatural. I tried to squirm free from my bindings but the harder I fought the tighter they seemed to get.

“Insegel hie sáwol innan déaðbærlic. Llandcofa næfre æt géanhworfennes,”
Ian and Lila chanted.

A guttural scream escaped my throat as they finished reciting the spell. My insides were in knots and I felt sick to my stomach. Whatever they were doing to me, it was working.

They repeated the spell and the light from the stones grew brighter. I turned away from Ian and Lila and saw the water rising around me, reaching up to my chest now. If Robert and the others didn’t get here soon it would be too late. I tried again to pull free from the pillar, twisting and kicking, but it was no use. Whatever spell they used to tie me to the wood was too strong for me to break with sheer force. I needed to use Magic to fight Magic, but I didn’t know how. I cursed myself for not getting on board with all of this sooner. Maybe Robert could have taught me how to defend myself if only I’d listened to him from the beginning.

A loud explosion pulled me from my reverie and I looked up to find Lila and Ian in the water ten feet away. I tried to look behind me but couldn’t see anyone. Maybe the spell had backfired?

“You’re too late,” Lila said, standing up in the surf. “You can’t save her.”

“Watch me.” I recognized the voice: it was Brett. She came into view on my left side along with Annabel, Jake and a few other people I didn’t recognize. I searched their faces again, but Robert wasn’t among them. The sick feeling in my stomach started spreading through me and made me dizzy.

Ian yelled something at the top of his lungs and five or six people appeared next to him out of thin air. No one moved at first, each side sizing up the other.

In the blink of an eye, all hell broke loose. I wasn’t sure who struck first, Lila or Brett, but everyone joined in the moment the first blow was cast.

Brett kept a shield around her as she raised her hands to the sky. Dark clouds formed above her and the wind and rain picked up. Lighting struck her and a deafening crack of thunder exploded around us. Brett’s entire form crackled with electricity as she lowered her hands toward the enemy. Hot white electricity shot across the beach toward Ian and his cohorts. At the very last second, Ian threw up a shield and the lightning deflected away from him in a shower of blue sparks. Angry red light shot across the beach toward Brett and Annabel. Jake leapt in front of them and threw up his shield just in time.

I was so caught up in what was going on around me that I had forgotten about the ocean closing in until it slapped me in the face and I inhaled saltwater.

Coughing and spitting, I heard Robert yell over the din, “Annabel get her out of here!” He came running down the beach and our eyes caught for a brief moment before he turned to face our adversaries.

Annabel ran toward me, disappearing and reappearing at intervals while dodging fireballs and explosions as the sandy shore turned into a vicious battlefield.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of here,” Annabel said as she reappeared next to me. She placed her hand on my shoulder. While standing the water only reached her thighs but for me it was starting to get dangerous. I tried to push myself up with my legs but I was too weak. The spell was taking its toll on me and I didn’t have much time left. Annabel wrapped both arms around me and her whole body moved in and out of focus but I stayed tied to the pillar.

“Annabel!” Robert yelled.

“I can’t!” she yelled back, “she’s been anchored to this plane.”

“Do something, we can’t lose her!” Robert blocked a giant wall of fire with his shield, covering himself and Brett. Brett, for her part, made the ocean rise into a giant wave and directed it at the swirling fire hammering down on them.

“Violet, I’ll be right back. Just hold on a little longer,” Annabel yelled over the roar of the battle and then vanished into thin air.

“Stop her!” someone yelled as a wave crashed on top of me. This time it covered me completely and then quickly receded.

I turned my gaze back to the fight and saw Annabel on the ground writhing in pain. Lila stood a few feet in front of her, a sick green light coming from her hands and keeping Annabel pressed to the ground.

“Someone…” I started to yell when another wave slammed into me. The sting of the cold water burned my face and I couldn’t focus on anything. My thoughts jumbled together and my vision blurred as the water receded once more. Colorful flashes burst into my sight but I couldn’t discern who it came from. What sounded like a freight train hitting a wall boomed all around me and rattled my bones as another roaring wave almost knocked the breath right out of me.

My head resurfaced only to be pelted with furious rain and wind. I didn’t know if the weather was getting worse because of Magic or if the storm had finally hit the beach. Trying to open my eyes and get a glimpse of what was happening, the saltwater stung and blurred my vision.