Fighting Destiny (Central Coven) (17 page)

Listening to him something occurred to me.  I’ve heard this before.  Not from Finn, but somewhere.  I motioned for my drawer, located across the room, to open.  It pulled open with a creaking protest.  “Book,” I commanded.  The
Daughters of the Moon
, flew through the air and landed in my open hands.

I quickly, but carefully, opened the book to the page with an anti-love spell.  “What did you find?” I turned the book toward Finn and showed him the spell.  “A spell, see it doesn’t really make people fall out of love so much as make them feel sort of trapped in their relationship.”

“So this was all a spell?” he asked.  “More than likely,” I replied.  “Did you hear anyone speaking Latin at the party?” I asked.  “I saw a tall red head wearing a pentagram, I thought I heard her say something in a different language.  But the music was so loud it is really hard to say,” he answered.  “Was that before or after you went outside?”  “Before,” he replied.  “I am willing to bet Simone has red hair,” I said mostly to myself.

“Who is Simone?” he asked.  “Oh, yeah.  I forgot how much you missed out on last night.  She is the leader of the necromancers.  I found that out from Alexander when he threatened me last night, right before I kicked his ass.   He wasn’t under any sort of spell either.  The rest of them might not be either, so our plans have all gone to hell.  That is one more thing to worry about.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you last night.  Where does this leave us?  Knowing I was under a spell has to help some what, right?” 

“I’m not sure.  The spell works by augmenting feelings and fears that pre-existed. The way you chose to act on those feelings was not dictated by the spell.  And, if I am being completely honest, what it did manage to do is point out to me I still have feelings for Grey.  I’m not being fair to either of you or myself if I continue a relationship with you right now knowing I have strong feelings for both of you.  So my answer is, I don’t know.  Last night you were freaked out, and today I am.  I told you, I am just as bad at this as you are.”

“How does this keep getting so screwed up?” Finn wondered out loud.  “I’m not sure.  Maybe we should just not do anything. Take a few days to think,” I suggested.  “Okay,” he agreed.  I smiled half-heartedly, kissed his cheek, and closed the door behind him.

For the next few days I immersed myself in my routine.  I woke up at ten, showered, grabbed a coffee, and dashed to class barely on time.  There was so much on my mind, but I could only handle immediate tasks.  On Saturday I got up early, put on my favorite L
evis, a warm cable knit sweater, a super warm ski coat, and my favorite boots. I was ready to go walking in the woods. 

With only a week until Halloween, the October air whipped violently, and was bitterly cold. My face felt assaulted as soon as I got out of my car at one of the many small lakes in the mountains near Roslyn. I pulled into an empty camping site, being so late in the fall only hikers came up here this time of the year.  Today was unusually cold.  I pulled my coat tight around myself and walked down the incline toward the shore of the glacial waters concealed by the forest.

The thick evergreens gave way to the sandy soil of the clearing.  This was as much of a beach as this lake offered.  The aqua blue colored water lapped up against the mixture of mud and smooth stones gathered at the edge of the soil.  The water smelled cold. 

The wind tunneled between the mountains that fed this glacial lake and stung my uncovered skin.  Still, I stood staring at the small waves stirred beneath their might.  The sting reminded me I had uncomfortable things to think about.   My hair whipped about.  I could feel her eyes on my back.  Searching for her, I turned toward the trees. 

Mickey perched on the closest pine to the trail.  I knew she would be here.  She screeched and the sound ripped through the quiet morning.  “Hello my friend,” I greeted.  She scanned the perimeter before she stretched her wings and glided down from her perch in the trees.  I offered her my outstretched arm, and she expertly landed on it.  Mickey stretched her three-foot wide wingspan, flapped, slightly raising herself and her hold on my coat. 

I knew better than to try and pet her.  She may come near me, offer her assistance to me, and be fairly friendly, but she was still a wild hawk.  Where she went and what she did when we were not together was a complete mystery to me. 

Hawks don’t chirp.  They don’t make cute cooing noises.  They are efficient predators, not cute parakeets.  Cute no, but definitely beautiful and majestic. Mickey was a marvelous creature, and I had great respect for her. 

I could tell by her extremely focused gaze she wasn’t just checking in on me. She had a message to deliver.  Her dark eyes focused on mine.  I looked into the face that was the last thing so many small creatures of this forest saw.  The powerful hooked beak, the small white and brown feathers of her face, and finally those all-seeing eyes.

The fog rolled in, my head swirled with a feeling of vertigo as images competed to be played in my mind.  It felt like having information downloaded straight into my brain.  Usually I watch as a scene from the past, or a future event is played for me, but nothing stood out.  It was not anything I could see, just a feeling of knowing, or rather that I would know soon.  I had waited too long to come here, she had too much to say, and it came in too quickly. 

I had no idea how long I had been standing there by myself, what time it was, but it seemed to be colder, and I had a growing sense of foreboding.  I did not catch any scenes this time, except one image that I already suspected. Alexander was not under anyone’s control.  Everything he was doing was with his own knowledge and volition.

There were other pieces of information floating around in my head, and I needed to get back to let them settle into place.  I walked up the hill, more fatigued than I should be considering I had not walked far, and had been standing in one place for the majority of the time I had spent at the lake.  I made it to my car, slid into my seat and drove the winding roads back through the picturesque town of Roslyn toward Ellensburg.

I didn’t look at my clock the entire drive back to the dorm.  I had been gone since about eight in the morning, very early for me. I didn’t really care what time it was. There wasn’t anything for me except problems to solve.   It had gotten very foggy when Mickey delivered her messages to me, and it had not let up, so I had not noticed how far down the sun was in the sky.

I walked into the downstairs common area of my dorm, via the parking side entrance, and found everyone waiting for me.  “You didn’t answer your cell!” Anita accused.  I reached into my pocket, and sure enough I had nearly a dozen missed calls.  “Sorry,” I shrugged, “I guess I didn’t have reception where I was.” 

I began to walk past them.  I glanced down at my boots, there was sand and a little bit of mud around the soles.  My coat had sap on the sleeve where Mickey had perched.  I smelled like pine, cold mountain air, and hawk.  Surely I wouldn’t have to tell them where I was.  Mostly I was completely exhausted.  The clock indicated it was quarter to five.  It was much later than I thought, I wanted to eat, shower and go to sleep.

Finn stepped in front of me.  “Your eyes are brown.”  “Mmhhhm, they have been for a week now,” I responded.  I went to move around him, but he put his hands on my shoulders stopping me from moving forward.  “Why didn’t I notice?” he asked, mostly to himself.  I shrugged again, “Finn, I am extremely tired.  If we need to talk right now, can we continue this in my room?”  “Sure,” he said, and slyly placed his arm around my shoulder.

I wasn’t sure what he was up to.  This was not where we were right now.  Then out of the corner of my eye I saw Cynthia frozen in the doorway of the rec room, with a look of hatred on her face.  Suddenly I understood, but I didn’t know if I should feel flattered by the vindication, or pity her as a fellow pawn he used to boost his ego.  I just had too much rattling around in my brain to work it out at the moment.

“Was that truly necessary?” I asked as he closed the door to my room.  “What?” he asked trying to seem innocent.  He failed.  “You know what.  That show you just put on for Cynthia.  Do you enjoy winding her up and watching her explode?  I told you I don’t want to do this anymore.  That includes this crap with her as well.  You know I wonder if she mostly wants you because I do.”

“You still want me?” Finn asked encouraged.  “Oh just shut up a minute will you? I have an idea.”  “That look on your face makes me think it is a bad one.” “Yeah, probably.  I was just thinking if she thought that if I were interested in someone else if she would go after him also.  So tell me honestly is this about your ego, or what?” 

“I don’t know.  When I am around human women they start throwing themselves at me, and it is incredibly hard to resist.  She is the most brazen about it.  I want to avoid her, but yeah I guess I like the attention.  I didn’t show you off to keep her going. I did it to intimidate her so she would leave me alone.  So, let me ask you, is this is an obstacle that is too hard to get over?” 

I sat still for a minute, my eyes flashed green, and I heard Finn catch his breath.  Images began to race before my eyes.  I saw two futures. One scenario had the four of us united. The other future had the four of us separated, and still trying to connect.  The fork between these two futures was Cynthia.  How, was still unclear.  I reached blindly for his hand.

He answered my searching reach with his long fingers clutched around my smaller manicured ones.  Cynthia, in the eyes of Mickey, was a pest, a swallow diving constantly chasing her away from her prey.  I don’t know why she was comparing Finn to prey, but her belief that Cynthia should be driven away was clear.

Cynthia was preventing Finn from reaching the height of his powers.  Getting rid of Cynthia as the pest that Mickey viewed her to be, was essential to achieving the future where we were united and powerful.  If the alternate future occurred, defeating Simone and Alexander would be impossible.  Simone and Alexander, “Simone and Alexander,” I said aloud.  “What?” Finn asked confused.

“Sorry, several things are coursing through my brain.  I went to Roslyn today and hiked down to one of the lakes. Don’t ask which, I couldn’t direct you to it if I tried.  Anyway, I met with Mickey, my hawk, and there were so many images I am still sorting them out.  First Alexander is not under the control of the necromancers, he is with Simone, I believe romantically.  We will have to figure that out.   And Cynthia is keeping you from achieving your complete potential.  Mickey hates her by the way.”

“Imagine that,
your
hawk doesn’t like Cynthia.  Will wonders never cease,” Finn said sarcastically.  “I don’t
own
her, she is a wild animal,” I answered defiantly.  “Well how do you propose we rid ourselves of her?” “I could teleport her to the top of the Himalayas,” I replied sarcastically.  “That does not sound like a good idea,” Finn answered.  “No, but it would be a very satisfying solution for me.” 

“I guess we may have to learn to live with her.  I will have to learn to ignore her better than I have, and you will have to stop letting her get under your skin.”  I groaned dramatically, and Finn rolled his eyes at me.  Yes I was being a drama queen, but her presence irked me.  I would revisit the idea of sending her to the top of a mountain. 

“Ignore her, got it.  I will try, but it is going to take Herculean effort.”  “I know,” he said laughing.  Then he reached out and patted my head.  Ehhh!  Could he be more patronizing?  I suppose it is possible, but I am not sure how.  Perhaps since he is the cause of most of the turmoil between Cynthia and myself he is unable to see how frustrating it is to deal with her. 

I picked up a pillow from behind me, and I threw it at him.  It really was a stress reliever, now I understand why Anita does it all the time.   Finn’s eyes blazed blue like a wild untamed sea before a storm.  He mistook my annoyance for flirtation.  He leaned forward, to pull me down into an embrace, something I was not completely opposed to, but not completely open to either.

I was trying to quickly make up my mind or find an out.  I could feel his breath tickle my neck while he whispered something to me I did not hear.  He moved my hair away from my neck and shoulder.  My heart began to pound rapidly, because of indecision not desire.  Yet again he misread the sign, and gently stroked the side of my face.  Did I want him to stop? 

Then, my phone began to buzz indicating I had a text message.  “I…I need to get that.  I have been waiting on a message from Grey.”  That ought to kill the mood.  Finn dropped his hand and noticeably moved away from me.  “Him again?” Finn muttered under his breath.  “Finn, we need his help.  I need to tell him what I found out today, and see if he has any ideas about how we can defeat Alexander and Simone.” 

“I understand.  I just don’t like being part of a triangle.  And, I can’t wait until you make up your mind.”  “Even if I don’t choose you?”  “I, well, no, I guess I haven’t really thought about that.   It’s just I feel very confident you are going to choose me.  It feels like our destinies are tied together.”

“I understand.  In a way I feel the same. I know I am supposed to be figuring out my destiny, but I am still irritated by the idea of having one.  I want to be able to determine my own future, not have it predetermined for me.  When I look around this campus I see other students trying to pick a major, learn who they are, and not one of them has to shoulder the weight of a magical dynasty.  Don’t you feel like it is too much, having so much of your life already decided?”