He speaks again and this time I know what he is saying,
“
Dee
-ah ghwit, cailleach.
”
It
i
s
Gaelic;
I nod to him and reply,
“
Dee-ah ghwit
…
.
”
He just greeted me and announces that I am a witch, but I do not return the same words for him. He is not a
witch;
he
’
s something...else, maybe a shape shifter, possibly. Suddenly I remember something...a story of a truly rare being my father once told me about when I was a child. Ash is what my great grandfather had once called him. He saved Ash from a fallen tree and healed his wounds centuries ago.
Standing there dumbfounded as my mind rattles with wonder and amazement that it
’
s Ash standing before me. He never shows any expressions on his face as he speaks,
“
Greetings Alyssa, much time has passed since the last I saw one of the
Worthington
race.
”
He r
each
es
his hand out to take
mine;
once our hands touch he grips hard and pulls me around the tree. Releasing just as quickly as he had grab
bed
it, he points to a hollow hole inside the tree.
“
There inside, you must retrieve it swiftly.
”
I look at him with concern and then back at the warped hole in the center of the bark, urging inside myself to ask.
What is it that I could possibly need from the hole inside this tree?
A sensation jolts me into moving. I grit my teeth together and stick my hand inside, images of a rabid squirrel biting me or worse Naomi
’
s hand gripping my own. The only thing I find as my fingers brush around is a tiny round metal object. Quickly, I pull it out,
it
’
s
my ring,
and how
in the goddess
’
s name did it get here? Ash takes the ring and places it on my finger.
“
You dropped it here in the woods, you must never lose it, to lose this ring,
and the
stone means you lose yourself.
”
Pulsating energy shoots through my fingers reaching my hand and down along my arm, a light blue glow comes from the blue stone. Everything appears the same as before, but I feel strangely different. A piece of me that was shattered now mends itself back. My soul still aches for Marc, longing for his soul and forever will.
Ash reflects concern as he creases his black brows together, then he swooshes around looking behind the tree as he does I catch a glimpse of long, golden tipped elfish ear. In my realization I know now he is of the Fay kind.
Returning his attention back to me he speaks more in a prompt tone,
“
Time has passed, illusions are of the mind in mirrors, to
scry
in one, one must carry the essence, you channel the essence now, you are the Scryer now.
”
My amulet from my neck rises up in mid-air as Ash begins touching it, tapping on each charm his words swiftly dissolve back into Gaelic and what he speaks is.
“
The Cimaruta you wear bear
s, the crow of the rooster symbolizing that the grey witch is with you in the physical realm. She is the guardian protecting your soul from evil
’
s harm.
The
d
agger of protection is within. The moon rises in full giving you power.
The key wil
l forever protect the mysteries others may never see. The Vervain blossom may ye never forget ye are the gatekeeper, the keep
er between worlds. Dream seer….
”
Ash closes his hand and then
opens;
a beautiful
reddish
-blue vervain blossom appears. He hands me the flower.
“
Remember Alyssa our bond, the
Fay world
and the W
itch world, our mystical powers have always run deep and for us to keep.
”
The same brilliant flash of white light as before floods my vision and Ash is gone.
Thinking now
,
i
f I am what Ash says I am, the Scryer then somehow I can see things differently in the mirrors.
I begin cautiously, walking back through the woods, seeking out a mirror.
To Scry in a mirror, or a crystal ball, has never been my cup of tea, I know how to,
it
’
s
just something that never seemed to be a calling of mine. All the objects here in the forest, the music box and the hundreds of mirrors are something Naomi has her essence tied into. Now since I
’
ve been around them my own essence may cause a different effect, and hopefully will provide a way out.
Finally, I approach an odd medium sized brass mirror
lying
down on the ground, brushing the leaves off I set it upright next to a tree. Kneeling down on one knee in front of the mirror, I focus into the reflection, blurring out my own image that stares back at me. The winds twirl the burnt dried leaves around, blowing in my face and in my hair as if i
t is trying to distract me some
how.
I watch as my own image changes and
a
new
surreal scenery comes into my view. The same snow covered forest that Marc had been in reveals itself to me once more. Frozen, crystal formed trees, gather around the black ominous pool. A symmetry of snowflakes dwindle downward and I notice an almost hushed foot prints leaving the pool and out into the woods.
I
’
m suddenly startled, tipping the mirror over, but I
’
m able to catch it before it falls. A piercing noise lurks from behind me. I have no time to analyze or wonder of the image I just saw, because whatever it is behind me, is running, and running towards me.
I
’
m on my feet in a matter of seconds, running, with sounds of laugh
ter seeping into the air pursuing
me. Tripping over a decrepit log I land on something, glancing down at a broken tumble-downed stone wall. Fueling with dread I pick myself up glancing back as the demented giggling fills the darken woods.
Chapter 43
What I have stumbled upon
, was once
a bedroom of sorts, whi
ch now is completely burned down
. Half charred frames of objects lie in ashes on the barren ground, faint vines growing throughout. Only two stone walls are left standing, baked in a thick layer of black soot and a large metal lamp rests among the rubble.
One massive mirror hangs on one of the remaining walls, unscathed. Leaping over the stones I quickly approach the mirror trying hastily to scry, with hopes that this is the way out. All I get is different views of the forest, but I
’
m unsure if this is her main tool,
her crystal ball
.
Partial areas of the woods are so burned everything in the area is undeniably dead and other parts are alive as if nothing evil had ever lurked there. I
’
m still not sure what to look for exactly. Then I begin to wonder what if I try and place my hand in it, as if the mirror hears my thoughts it ripples
like a wave of water. I begin
moving my hand inside the mirror and to my astounding amazement my hand goes through.
A blazing fireball shoots next to me, and the mirror explodes. Having already jerk
ed
my hand back and cover
ed
my face, I plummet to the ground. Naomi is moving closer into the area I
’
m in. A little too close for comfort, if one hit from her flaming hands, I will definitely be in the spirit realm. In one swift movement I dodge to the next remaining wall, her voice sounds charming and
innocent;
as her flame hits the wall I
’
m behind, telling me she is definitely not playing nice.
“
Alyssa...you must not touch the mirrors, you have no idea where they will take you.
”
With a twisted giggle she continues,
“
It could be far worse than here, but you and I both know you deserve so much torment and misery.
”
The stone wall is becoming intensely hot and glowing red. I can
’
t remain here much longer or she
’
ll blow it up too.
“
You do realize
he
never loved you, it’
s
me
he loves. You place
d
black magick on him, an obsession spell.
”
Never moving from my position, as calmly as I can, I yell back,
“
What are you talking about Naomi?
”
Her voice alters a bit sounding a little cynical.
“
I found photos of you in his car, and a video of you two on his
cell;
weeks after he broke it off with you and I know what you did Alyssa.
”
Yelling back to her,
“
Tell me, what exactly do you think, Naomi?
”
I can
’
t believe I am having this conversation with her. I shake my head in disbelief. She throws out a chilling laugh and suddenly I notice she isn
’
t throwing fireballs relentlessly at me anymore.
“
You think that I wouldn
’
t notice, you placed a binding spell on those pictures that he keeps in his glove box and including the
“
David and Alyssa
”
video on his
cell
. David couldn
’
t even look at me without seeing
you
. When he broke it off with me in
California
, he openly admitted to me that he wanted to go and find you. To ask forgiveness from you
and hope
you
’
d take him back. You think I
’
m the psychopath? I think not, Alyssa, when you told him you wouldn
’
t take him and showed him your true
colors;
he eventually came back to
me
. Do you know why?
”
Never answering her, it leaves a moment of eerie silence between us. I keep waiting for her to just shift right in front of me
at
any second.
“
I
’
ve lost everything because of you, David, my parents, a
nd yes, even my younger brother. It is all
because of what you made me do. Meeting you at the track that night wasn
’
t
just a coincidence, Alyssa. I have to find out what darkness you hold over him.
”
An uncomforting feeling sinks deep insi
de me as she continues her rave,
“
The night before I laid my eyes on your corrupting, repulsive, vile face, David was with me Alyssa,
me,
but here
’
s the part that gave me my revelation... in the middle of our passion he says...
your
name. It was barely a whisper and to think I might not of caught it if he wasn
’
t next to my ear. I knew then you were controlling him and I had to make sure that I would be the one to see you take your very... last... breath.
”
An emotionless laugh came from her.
“
Sure, I had to make sacrifi
ces to enhance my abilities to x
-you-out of existence.
I have e
mpower
ed
myself enough that you won
’
t even be able to reincarnate yourself.
S
o you see Alyssa, I
’
m doing all this for
David
. I think
it
’
s
going to be well worth
everything
I
’
ve endured, to see this to the end.
”
The stone wall I am hiding behind shatters from the pounding incarnating fire blazing from Naomi. I know without a doubt, this is where it will all come to an end. I dive out of the way as she repeatedly throws one wave after another of fire, but I didn
’
t really move physically... I
shift
.