As I finished eating I scooped up the last peanut covered in gooey Kung Pao sauce and popped it into my mouth. I had already seen this episode, the one where Phoebe tries to teach Joey how to play guitar, but it felt nice to relax, so I sat back, beer in hand, and tried to focus on the TV. I wasn’t sure if it was the solid food or the beer but the anxious feeling that had been eating a hole in my chest lessened a bit.
I took another sip of beer and wondered what Robert was up to. It pained me to think about him, but seeing him again had stirred something inside me, something ancient and primal. It wasn’t just sexual attraction, although that was certainly a factor. I’d never felt anything like this before. It left me wondering what it was about him that affected me so much. I could understand if it was just a romantic or lustful pull toward him. No one could deny he was a good looking man. But this was more than that. Something inside me called to him.
The episode of Friends ended so I got up to change my clothes. I threw on an old t-shirt and cotton shorts. As I walked into the bathroom I took a long look at myself in the mirror. It was still me. The reflection didn’t look any different, but I felt like I was changing. My whole world had been turned upside down and everything looked slightly askew. I shook my head, frustrated that I didn’t feel in control of my life anymore and pulled my hair into a ponytail.
Twirling my hair behind my head, I walked back to the kitchen to grab another beer. A knock echoed on the other side of the door and I paused halfway to the refrigerator.
Quietly making my way to the front door I grabbed the bat hidden in the closet. I’m going to have to keep this thing by my side from now on, I thought. I leaned up to the peephole when the person knocked again. It made me jump and step right into the stand next to the door.
“Violet, it’s just me, open up,” Robert’s warm voice came through the door.
I breathed a sigh of relief but still checked the peep hole.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I opened the door.
“I told you I was going to come back and check on you tonight.” He stepped inside, looking around.
“Right, but how did you get in here without buzzing me?” I closed the door, a little annoyed that he just assumed he could come in but I decided it wasn’t worth picking a fight over.
“I have my ways.” He gave me a mischievous smile.
“A little warning would have been nice,” I said and lifted the bat in my hand.
He looked me up and down and shrugged a little sheepishly. “You weren’t already in bed, were you?”
I looked down at my attire. “No, just being comfortable in my own home.” I pulled the corner of my shirt down to better cover myself.
“How was the rest of your afternoon?” he asked as he walked toward the living room.
I frowned, a little disoriented, and followed him. “It was fine, yours?”
“Productive. I caught up with my family and we think it would be best if you weren’t alone.” He perused the living room, picking up the magazines on the table and inspecting my book collection.
“Ok.” I watched him, my brow furrowed. “So does that mean we’re going to hire a bodyguard or something?”
“Or something.” He smiled at me. “I’ll be staying here and watching over you until this is over.”
“You’re what?” I asked in disbelief.
“I can crash on the couch,” he said, fluffing a pillow.
“Excuse me, but you are not crashing on my couch.” My voice sounded a little squeaky and I bit my lip, bewildered at the thought of him staying here.
“Be reasonable, Violet,” he said, looking back at me. “You don’t honestly think I’d leave you unprotected while you’re in danger, do you?” He shook his head and turned toward the TV.
“You didn’t seem to have a problem leaving me unprotected for the last few weeks. Why the sudden concern for my safety?” I shot back.
“You think just because I wasn’t here that we weren’t watching over you?”
“Who’s we?” I shivered, self-conscious at the thought of being watched without my knowledge.
“My family, and others we trust,” he answered nonchalantly.
“If that’s true, then why are you here now? Why can’t you just continue the way you have been?” I bit back as he sat on the couch.
He sighed. “Will you have a seat?” He gestured to the spot next to him but I didn’t move. “Look, I know you’re struggling with all of this, but…”
“But nothing, Robert. If you want to protect me then do it from a distance.” I turned away and walked toward the sliding back door. “I’ve been fine this whole time without you so I don’t see the point in you staying here now.” My reflection looked pained in the glass, my eyes red from holding back tears.
“Violet, please. You don’t understand how important you are,” he said.
I could see him stand up and walk toward me in the reflection but I did nothing to acknowledge his presence. His words reminded me of my Aunt Beth and how she always said how talented and special I was. His voice rang with the same sort of intensity. The thought of my sweet, loving aunt broke down some of my defenses.
I sighed and covered my eyes with my hand. “Then help me understand,” I said, turning to face him.
“Come here.” He placed his hand on my arm and guided me back to the couch. “We’ll start with the prophecy, where it all began.”
I sat beside him without saying anything. I felt my heart accelerate and my palms begin to sweat. I knew I wanted answers but wasn’t sure I was prepared to hear the answers Robert had.
“In England, back in the late seventeen-hundreds, there were five very powerful families in our community: the Deardons, the Ainsworths, the Landons, the Patridges, and the Maxwells. In the middle of the night, one member of each family was summoned to meet with Belinda, a very gifted Soothsayer,” Robert began.
“Soothsayer?” I interrupted.
“It means speaker of truth. It’s a person who can see the past, present, and future. You would call her a psychic.”
“A psychic.” My eyes practically bulged out of my head. I couldn’t believe this mess stemmed from some lady who claimed to be a psychic hundreds of years ago. Robert couldn’t believe in that stuff, could he? I felt like I was reliving the past all over again and Robert was about to tell me he was a part of some 'group' just like my ex. Why did I always attract the crazy ones?
“It’s not what you think. The world has taken a sacred tradition and corrupted it into a money-making machine that feeds on the desperate and insecure. Now just the word psychic means cheap parlor tricks and lies but a true Soothsayer would never use their gift in such a disgraceful way.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and looked at me a little embarrassed. “Anyway, Belinda told those five men a war would come about in the Magical world and the only way to stop it…” He paused and looked at me, struggling to find the right words. “The key to peace would be a woman named Violet, who would wake The Lady and stop Morgana before it was too late.” He blinked, looking at me with admiration. “Each person was instructed to pass this information down to their heirs, making sure that when the time came, you wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.” His mouth formed into a hard line. “Which almost happened once already.”