Synergy (See #3)(71)

“How did you see me coming?” I asked weakly.

“The skies paint an obscure scene, and the scroll adds to it what I see. My instinct tells me the most.”

“What is your instinct about us?” I pushed.

“That you know more than you think you do. A Living Witness is a warrior of light, a cause to an effect. For you to be created, there must have been a catalyst, and that catalyst could have been anything. The fact that you fell into the dimension of Infante would tell me that it had nothing to do with my late husband Donalt, but now you’re here with a child of his from that world. I need to understand if he’s the head of the snake or just a part of it, and I need to be able to prepare my daughter for whatever heartbreak is coming her way. If she breaks, Mother Nature will punish us all with her tears.”

My head was spinning. Was this woman a Queen? Did she rule this world with Donalt? I couldn't ask the questions fast enough; I was too focused on that knife in her hand, that chalice.

“Listen,” I said, squeezing Aden’s hand. “I was created because of a prayer to a Goddess. I was young, in love, and stupid. I had no idea what I was doing, and neither did the boy with me. Willow enlightened me years ago, then I fell and was born again, and now I have no idea what’s going on. So, if I’m your last hope - or any hope at all - then you need to find a new one.”

“Will you show me?” she asked.

“Can you see?”

“Not in the way you perceive...I need your blood.”

“How much?”

“Charlie!” Aden said, reaching to pull me closer, completely appalled.

“Just a drop. Your essence is all I need. I’ll be able to see the catalyst, see who among us will become like you.”

“It’s OK”, I said, leaning away from Aden. I wanted to understand this, and if all this woman needed was a drop of blood, I was going to give it to her. I reached my hand toward her, and she took it gently.

“Stop!” Aden said.

“We need to understand this. She can help us with Draven. I know she can.”

He shook his head. “I don’t care about the blood. She just can’t hurt your fingers; we may have to change and play that song Monroe showed you.”

“Just a prick. I wont hurt them,” Perodine said as the knife in her other hand pierced my fingertip. I couldn't even feel it; the calluses from where I played were too thick. As my blood dripped into the chalice, smoke climbed out.

I sat back, not understanding what was in there beyond my blood and ash. I could smell sage and something else that had a deep musk odor to it.

Perodine’s eyes moved across the smoke at a rapid speed, then all at once the smoke was gone.

“Well...?” I asked.

She sat the chalice down beside her, then looked down as she searched her thoughts. “He’s not the head of the snake.”

“Donalt?”

She nodded. “And, child, you were not a foolish girl in love. You have fallen more than once.”

“What?!”

“I’ll need more time, more blood to see that far back. What I do know is that you saw this day coming. More than likely, you’ve been blind to most of it. Someone - maybe even you - has put a wall up. You forgot on purpose, but that didn’t halt your path. You followed a sea of coincidences that led you to Silas, to my daughter, then your last fall...and now here.”

I hesitated as I took in her words. In the last twenty-four hours, my life had been completely flipped upside down, and I didn’t have time to understand any of it; I didn’t know if I wanted to. “I may be blind to what was, but not to what I need now. I need to conquer The Realm. It calls Draven and a host of others. I need to protect whatever power Monroe has from falling into the wrong hands. Can you help with any of that?” I asked.

“No,” she said quietly. “But you can.”

“How?”

“Your soul is older than mine. The answers are inside of you.”

“How is that possible?”

“Love, I suppose,” she said as her eyes cascaded over Aden.

“Love for Draven, his brother, right?” I asked, noticing her stare, not understanding why they kept looking at him like that.

She didn’t answer me; instead, she reached for the book beside her. “We don’t have time to teach Willow to see or to prepare her for what’s occurring at this moment, but I think I can open a door for her to step into The Realm.”

“What’s occurring?” Aden asked.

“Silas. He’s fulfilling one of many promises he made to Landen; the only problem is that Landen will not understand them now,” Perodine answered.

I knew what Silas was doing. I knew he was watching people die, people that were intended to become like him. “Landen knows the people that are dyi-”...I couldn't say it.

Perodine nodded. “He does, but I fear that is the least of his problems. Landen was pulled into The Realm for a reason. He’s there with Drake, and I would fathom that this was not seen by Willow when you met her before. This is a ploy by Donalt; he’s seeking a host and will stop at nothing to gain it.”

“How would them being there create a host?”

Aden squeezed my hand. “They’re switching places, aren’t they?” he said.