I looked away from her and asked the first thing that came to mind: “What did you alter?”
“You and Annabel still went to Yosemite with them. We couldn’t change everything. But you had to leave early for a project you booked. They think you guys drove separately and then left while they were out hiking.”
Anger filled me and gave me enough energy to sit up. How could they lie so easily?
“You guys think of everything, don’t you?” I seethed.
“That’s right,” Brett said and smiled, completely ignoring the anger radiating off of me.
A glass of water had been left on the nightstand and I reached for it. I needed a moment to try and cool down. The glass felt much heavier than it should have and I held onto it with both hands. I looked around the room. It was the same room Robert had stayed in at the Maxwell’s’ during the wedding. Everything looked the same as it did that day and I took a small comfort in that.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, taking a sip of water.
“They’re downstairs. I came up to check on you. Bethany said you’d wake up today,” Brett replied.
“Is she here?”
“No, I’m sorry. But she sends her best.”
“Oh, right… yeah,” I mumbled, disappointed. ”Can I see Robert?” I put down the glass of water. I was surprised that he wasn’t the one to come check up on me.
Brett looked away from me and dread crept over my skin.
“He’s gone,” Brett said. She wouldn’t look at me but I could see that her eyes were glassy. I felt the sting of my own tears and fought to keep them at bay.
Closing my eyes I willed myself to remember what had happened on the beach but no memories appeared. My heart ached for Robert, for some image of him alive and well that day.
“What do you mean gone?” I asked as a single tear spilled down my cheek.
“I mean gone,” Brett said and grabbed my hand. She looked me in the eyes. “That day on the beach… there was so much chaos. Annabel was trying to save you and… before we knew it…” She took a deep breath to steady herself. “Before we knew it, they all disappeared, including Robert.”
“What do you mean disappeared?”
“One second he was fighting on the beach in front of me and the next they were all gone.”
I felt like I’d been hit with a stun gun. Nothing made sense. How could he just disappear?
“We all ran straight to you,” Brett continued, “but Robert wasn’t with us. He never came.”
“But what does that mean?” I asked.
“Nothing good.” Brett sighed and let go of my hand. “Either he’s been taken prisoner or he’s a traitor.”
“Can’t Aunt Beth see anything?”
“No, she tried. They’re blocking her out.”
“May I?” I asked, reaching out to her.
“If Bethany can’t see where he is, what makes you think you can?” Brett gave me a sideways look.
“I’m not going to try and look forward. I want to see what happened on the beach.”
Brett thought about this a moment, then nodded in consent.
“I’m still really weak, so I’ll need your help,” I said. “Try to focus on that day at the beach, just before he disappeared.”
“Okay,” Brett replied. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
I put my hand on top of hers and let the Magic build inside me. Then I released it.
The room swirled around me and we dropped onto the beach. Brett was with me this time; that was new.
The beach was in complete chaos. A wall of fire surged toward Robert and Brett but he blocked it. I looked beneath the pier and saw myself struggling to survive. Lightning erupted from Brett’s outstretched arms and Annabel ran across the sand toward me. Lila and Ian focused their energy on Robert. Green and yellow light assaulted his shield with such force it knocked him unconscious to the ground.
“We have to get him out of here,” Lila yelled.
A few of Ian’s henchmen shimmered and disappeared.
Brett swung her arms open then brought them together as forcefully as she could, sending Ian and Lila flying with hurricane-force winds.
“Are you okay?” she asked and knelt next to Robert.
“I’m fine, get Violet,” Robert ordered.
Brett nodded and ran toward everyone else who had gathered under the pier.
I looked back at Robert. He stood up and dusted sand off of himself.
Lila and Ian approached him and they stared each other down.
“Lila,” Robert said through gritted teeth.
“It’s nice to see you again, Robert,” Lila replied, a wicked smile spread across her face. She reached out to him and before he could make a move they vanished into thin air, just like the rest of Ian’s men.
The beach blurred and Brett and I were back at the Maxwell’s estate.
“Like I said, Violet, he’s either a traitor or a prisoner. Either way, we have to let him go,” Brett replied.
“We can’t!” I refused to believe what I’d just seen. “He can’t be, he wouldn’t leave me like that. Brett, you can’t believe he’s with them.”
“Then why did it take him so long to reach you when you were taken?” She raised her eyebrows at me.
My mouth opened to defend him, but I had wondered the same thing that day. Robert could feel everything I did. He must have known something was terribly wrong when Ian got to the house, so why didn’t he come for me?
“Did he or did he not put a binding spell on you?” Brett asked.
I nodded and whispered back, “He did.”
“He played us. He led them right to you.” Brett shook her head.
“Brett, there has to be some sort of explanation. You can’t believe Robert would do that.”
“You saw him with your own eyes. He left with them without a fight,” she snapped.
“I’m not giving up on him.” I flipped the comforter back and got out of bed with a new-found strength. I wouldn’t believe he was a traitor. I knew Robert; he was a part of me and my heart felt certain there was no way he would sell me out to the enemy. There had to be another explanation for what happened.
I had to find him and get the truth, no matter what the cost.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I must thank my family and friends for their support on this journey. Without their encouragement and love, Soothsayer may not have ever seen the light of day.
Jessica, thank you for being the first person to ever read a word of Soothsayer. While that very first version no longer exists, your notes helped shaped the book into what it is today. You’re enthusiasm for Violet and Robert kept me motivated and I’m so glad that you were by my side on this crazy ride.
Mom, you read several drafts of the book and were happy to do so each time. I couldn’t have made it this far without your excitement. I’ll never forget when you ran down the hall, yelling about Violet being attacked. Thank you so much for all your support over the years. I never dreamed that this could be possible and I have you and Dad to thank for that.
Now I must thank, my ever practical Dad. Thank you for proofreading Soothsayer and always giving me your honest opinion and advice. I know you want me to get out there and get a ‘real job’ but your support in making my dreams come true has meant the world to me.