“How do you suggest we pass this information down through the generations?” Thomas asked, fiddling with the pocket watch in his hand.
“That will be up to you.” Belinda took Thomas’s hand in hers to stop his fidgeting. “Do you all understand?”
“Yes,” we said in unison.
Belinda released Thomas and took a step backwards.
It was rare for a Soothsayer to share their visions with anyone. The fact that she dragged us out to reveal a vision to us proved how important this prophecy was.
“Off with you then. If anything else comes up I shall summon you for another meeting,” Belinda announced. Her eyes met mine for a pregnant moment and a small smile touched her lips. “Just a moment, William.” She stepped toward me and placed her hand on my shoulder. Her expression became unfocused and distant. I held my breath and waited for her to return to the present. As her eyes came back into focus, she made a quick glance toward the other men.
“What is it?” I asked, my nerves shaking my body even in her grasp.
She searched my eyes a moment and then leaned in closer to me, her fingers digging into my shoulder. “Robert must find her before it’s too late,” she whispered against my ear.
Violent chills quaked up my spine as she released her hold on me and disappeared into the darkness. The small orbs of light followed behind her and then vanished as well. None of us moved. We stood watching as Belinda disappeared back into the forest. I rubbed my hands against my shoulders to fight off another shiver as her words echoed in my head.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence Thomas turned to me, nodded, and disappeared into the fog. Edric, Colin and Kyle each did the same, leaving me standing alone in the forest. I took a deep breath and started back to town as well. My mind raced over everything Belinda had said and I couldn’t help but wonder who Robert was. What could I possibly do to ensure he found Violet when the time came?
I walked inside, craving the comfort and warmth of my home. I pulled my journal out from the desk drawer, threw another log on the fire and poured myself a dram of whiskey. I sat before the hearth in my large armchair and recounted the evening in my journal. I spared no detail and hoped my account of tonight’s events would be enough. I sipped at the rest of my drink and let the fire and whiskey warm my bones and soothe my nerves. Only when sleep threatened to overtake my energy and cloud my memory did I close my journal and drain my glass. I returned the leather-bound chronicle to the desk’s bottom drawer and recited a spell to disguise it from prying eyes. With my duty done for the night, I headed upstairs to bed. The sun crept over the hills as I crawled under the covers and fell asleep.
Chapter 1
Present-Day
I shot upright and awake, heart pounding and covered in sweat. I tried to remember what exactly I’d been dreaming about, but the images vanished like wisps of smoke on the wind. I shuffled my feet across the carpet and opened my bedroom window, letting the cool air refresh my sticky skin. It did little to slow my heart, though, as the muscle battered against my chest, threatening to escape. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and held onto the pendant I always wore around my neck. It was my grandmother’s and even though she was gone, I could still feel her warm embrace every time I held the cool metal between my fingers.
Even though I couldn’t remember anything that had happened in my dream, my chest felt heavy with sorrow, like a hand grasped the inside of my body. Taking another shaking breath, I watched as the sun rose over the horizon and broke through the grey, patchy clouds. I looked toward my bed as my heart slowly returned to a normal pace. The sheets spilled onto the floor looking like I’d just finished a wrestling match. I shivered as the dawn air brushed my skin and sent goose bumps crawling across my skin. Not wanting to return to bed, I decided to walk along the beach and clear my head.
I reached the beach on my single speed bike as the sky changed from vibrant yellow and orange to robin’s egg blue. The white caps on the water became more visible with each passing moment as the waves thrashed against the shore. The clouds rumbled on the horizon, promising rain today. Despite the rough water, a few people were paddling out in their wet suits and as I watched the surfers, a wave crashed on the shore and threw a mist directly into the sunlight. The tiny drops of water sparkled like diamonds in the crisp morning air. I lifted my camera and took a picture of the sunrise and another of the bobbing heads in the water, sitting on their boards, waiting for the next set of waves.
The beach was my happy place and it was never more beautiful than in the morning, when the sun welcomed a new day. The unease of my nightmare lingered in my mind, but the tightness in my chest eased a bit as I breathed in the salty sea air. Once the sun was high in the sky above me, more people started making their way down to the beach. I adjusted the shutter speed and aperture on my camera and snapped a quick picture of a man running barefoot along the shore. I looked at the screen to make sure I’d achieved the desired effect and smiled as I reviewed the photo.
The man was a dark figure running along the pristine beach, saltwater lapping at his feet. My candid photographs always turned out to be my favorite portraits of the day. There was just something special about capturing someone in their natural state. I walked up and down the beach, snapping pictures as I went, including one of a woman sitting on the sand sipping her coffee and feeding the seagulls. As I watched her toss a piece of her bagel to the birds; who ran and squawked at each other, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I looked behind me and a tall gentleman adjusted his baseball cap to cover his face as he looked in my direction. Trying not to draw attention to myself, I edged closer to the woman feeding the birds. When I looked back over my shoulder, the man had completely vanished from the beach. Great, I thought, my nightmares were starting to make me paranoid.
After an hour or so, people dotted the shoreline setting up tents, tables and grills for a day at the beach. As more people arrived, the beach morphed into a playground and I decided it was time to head back and get something to eat. My stomach rumbled with enthusiasm at the thought of being fed as I walked back to my bike, past a bakery that smelled of fresh baked bread and sugar.
Pismo was starting to wake up as I rode through the heart of town. There was already a line forming inside the coffee shop I rode past and motorists filled the streets. I took a short detour by the farmers market in the hopes I would find something yummy to nibble on before I passed out from hunger. I parked my bike and walked along the stalls already crowded with people. Each booth gave off an enchanting fragrance that made my stomach rumble with delight. The sweet smell of ripe fruit, the sharpness of fresh-cut flowers and the decadent aroma of crepes all hung in the air. I sampled a few bites of the local fare, ordered a crepe and picked up a bouquet of flowers as I passed through the dozens of stalls. On the way back to my bike, my pocket vibrated the announcement of a phone call. Popping the last bite of my crepe into my mouth and licking my fingers clean, I pulled my phone out and answered.