“It’s alright,” he whispered to me and reached his hand a little closer.
I hesitated, then took his hand and got out of the car.
“It’s so nice to see you again,” Annabel said, giving me a quick hug. “Sorry about just dropping in.” She winked with a playful grin on her face.
“Annabel,” Robert began. His voice was stern and carried an air of authority.
I knew Robert was special, that he could do things others couldn’t, but Annabel too? When did it end? I felt the anxiety start to pick away at my insides the way a ravenous vulture picked at the bones of an animal carcass.
“Alright, alright,” Annabel said, raising her hands in surrender. “She’s waiting for you in the living room. She arrived just a few minutes before you.”
“Who’s waiting?” I asked, looking between the two of them.
“Bethany.” Annabel motioned for me to follow her.
“Who’s Bethany?” I looked all around with confusion and worry as I followed her into the house.
“She’s a very gifted Soothsayer.” Annabel exaggerated the word ‘gifted,’ her voice thick with adoration.
“A Soothsayer?” I asked, nervous. I looked over my shoulder for Robert as we made our way down a small, dark hallway. Somehow through all this chaos, he had become the one person I could rely on. “Don’t worry,” Robert whispered into my ear and placed his hand on my lower back. “She’ll be able to tell if you have the gift or if they really are just fantasies.” I could hear the smile in his voice and my face flushed at his words. I was glad that he was walking behind me and couldn’t see the blood rush to my cheeks.
“I’ll be with Jake upstairs if you need me,” Annabel said, looking over her shoulder at Robert and then disappearing right in front of us. I stopped in my tracks. One second she was there, and the next she was gone. Seeing her disappear like that was the creepiest thing I’d ever seen. It was like a soft breeze came by and just whisked her away.
“How does she do that?” I asked now that she was gone. I didn’t know how to react to anything anymore. Was it normal for people to just fade in and out of existence?
“I’ll explain later,” Robert said and nudged me along.
We rounded a corner and passed the grand staircase. The house looked just as beautiful as it had the day of the wedding. It seemed less festive without the flowers and ribbons but beautiful nonetheless. Their house gave off a very regal feel, like every piece of wood had its own secrets to keep.
“Aunt Beth?” I said, stunned as we walked into the living room. “What are you doing here?” I smiled and made my way over to her. I hadn’t seen her in years. We’d stayed in touch for a while after I graduated college, but life got in the way and now we only exchanged cards on our birthdays and Christmas. I wrapped my arms around her, hardly able to believe she was actually here. Her floral perfume brought back so many memories and I couldn’t help but feel like a little kid again. She reminded me of happier times, of the family I no longer had. I frowned, all of the sudden realizing how bittersweet it was seeing her again.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Bethany said as she smiled at me and held me at arm’s length, taking all of me in.
“Aunt Beth?” Robert asked, frowning at both of us.
“Yeah, she’s… wait… that means you’re…” I stammered.
Realization set in. My Aunt Beth was Bethany, the Soothsayer we’d come here to see.
“Magical? Yes I am,” Aunt Beth chimed.
I looked at Robert, puzzled. “Did you know?”
“No,” he said, walking over to me. He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Go easy on her, Bethany. She’s having a hard time handling everything and it's already been a long day.”
“Well it’s no wonder. If her parents had listened to me…” Aunt Beth said and sighed. “No matter. I’ll fill you in, come along with me,” she said, putting her hand on my back and urging me to walk with her. Robert let his hand fall from my shoulder but followed us to the French doors.
“I’d like to talk to Violet in private,” Bethany noted as she opened the door.
“But she…” Robert protested.
“I know it’s your duty to protect her but she’s safe with me. She deserves to hear this from family and I think a little privacy would be best. If she wants to share what I tell her with you then it will be her choice to do so.” She spoke with an air of authority I’d never heard in her voice before.
Robert bowed his head slightly, a gesture of submission I didn’t expect, then looked at me. Concern dominated his face and without a word, he turned and walked away.
“Come along, dear,” Aunt Beth said, holding open the door to the backyard.
We walked to the large swing bench overlooking the ocean and sat down. I smiled to myself, remembering Jake and Annabel on this very swing, her white dress flowing around them as they gently swayed back and forth. So much had happened since that day. I sighed.
The swing was old but well taken care of and years of wear had smoothed the dark wood. Ivy covered the polished, wooden frame holding up the swing. It was as if the swing was a part of the yard and had sprung up right out of the ground. The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky, making the nearby sea sparkle as it swayed to the beat of Mother Nature.
I pulled my legs up onto the swing and wrapped my arms around the rope tying it to the frame. A small shiver made its way down my back. I wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or the cool ocean breeze.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around for you,” Bethany finally said, placing her hand on my knee.
“It’s okay. I don’t know if it would’ve made any of this easier if you were,” I replied.
She smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. She was worried and was trying to hide it.
“Robert said you weren’t handling things very well?” she added.
“How am I supposed to handle all this?” I shook my head. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and it’ll all have been a bad dream.”
“I’m afraid it’s not a dream. Everything Robert’s told you has been the truth.”
I let out a long sigh. “I know.” I’d known deep down Robert was telling the truth. It was simply difficult to accept that truth. “I just feel like my whole life has been a lie.” I looked at my aunt for comfort. I may not have seen her in years but she was still family and that in itself was comforting. There was at least one person in this world I was linked to in an irreversible way.
“Violet, this is just another chapter in your life, not the whole story. You’re still you.”
“Am I?”
“Of course you are,” Aunt Beth said, caressing my hair.
“I don’t know how to do this. I mean, I’m starting to accept everything that’s happened but…" I trailed off. The anxiety that had been building in me all afternoon nearly tore through my calm façade. I could almost feel my insides squirm as I fought to keep control.
“You will with time.” She smiled and brushed a stray hair out of my face.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know,” she said with a sly smile.
“So you’re a… Soothsayer?” I asked, remembering why she was here in the first place.
“Yes and so are you.” She gave me a patient nod.
“And my parents, they had… I mean, they were…” I trailed off, unable to bring myself to ask if my parents had Magical powers too.
“Yes, they were Magical, and very gifted I might add,” Bethany answered, looking past me. A calmness washed over her and I saw her body visibly relax into the swing. Something had changed her, made her less rigid than before.