“But why am I only hearing of this now?” I asked, feeling the tension leave my own body in response to her calm.
“We didn’t tell you because your parents wanted you to have a normal life. I tried to tell them it was impossible but they wouldn’t listen.”
“A normal life?”
“You were born a healthy normal child. You didn’t have a Magical soul. It happens from time to time in Magical families.” She waved her hand dismissively. “But you’re different.”
“Different how?”
“You’re The Waker. The day you were born, I had a vision that showed me who you would become.” Her lips turned up and her eyes softened as she looked at me. “It didn’t matter how hard they tried to shelter you. You were always going to be a part of the Magical world. Albeit, I didn’t quite know how it was going to happen.”
“But if I wasn’t born with a Magical soul then how can I be The Waker?”
“Ah, that’s exactly what your parents used to say. You may not have been born with Magic but you have a Magical soul now.”
“I do? But… how?” I asked, looking down at myself. I searched my body for some sign I was different now.
Aunt Beth looked up behind her to see Robert standing on the balcony, looking out over the water. “Because of him,” she said, turning back to me with a smile.
I turned toward the balcony. Robert leaned against the railing, staring out over the water. I let my gaze linger on him. He really was beautiful. I couldn’t imagine not having him in my life anymore. He turned his head my direction before I could turn back to my aunt. His eyes caught mine and the corner of his mouth pulled up into a smile. I tore myself away from his gaze and bit my bottom lip in an effort to hide my own grin.
“But what does he have to do with my soul?” I asked and tried to compose myself.
“When he healed you, a piece of his soul infused with yours and vice versa,” Aunt Beth explained, looking back up at Robert with a hint of a smile on her lips. Nothing got past her.
“How is that even possible?” I moved my hand to my chest. Was a piece of Robert really inside me? Is that why he has such an effect on me?
“The world is full of possibilities. You just have to know where to look for them.” A small chuckle escaped her throat.
“Does that sort of thing happen a lot, souls infusing?” I asked, unsure of how it made me feel.
“No, it doesn’t. But, one of the most famous cases involved King Arthur.” She raised her eyebrows and a secretive grin pulled at the corner of her mouth.
“You mean, that story about him being healed by Merlin is true?”
“So you’ve heard the story, then?”
“I may have done some googling after Robert healed me,” I said sheepishly.
She laughed, “I’m surprised you were able to find anything.”
“I thought it was just someone’s fan fiction. I didn’t actually think it was true.”
“It’s all true.” The corner of her eyes wrinkled as she smiled. “Which brings me back to you and Robert. You weren’t born with a Magical soul because you were always meant to get your Magic from him. The same way Arthur got his magic from Merlin. It’s why the visions didn’t start until after he healed you.” Her joy was almost tangible.
“You know about my visions?” A part of me was holding onto the hope that my imagination had just been getting the best of me lately.
“Of course I do. It’s why Robert wanted to speak to me.”
“How did you know? We were on the beach and-”
Aunt Beth raised her hand to interrupt me. “I always know.” A wicked smile turned up the corner of her mouth.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been keeping tabs on the two of you. So when I saw you had left the beach to come talk to me, I made sure I was here.” She smiled like it was perfectly normal to see things before they happened. But then again, I guess it was normal for her.
“Robert is very protective of you. He’s worried about how you’re handling everything, but you’re a strong woman and it’s time for you to step up and accept the Magical side of you,” she said with as much love as she could, while still getting her point across.
“So that’s it? I have a Magical soul now and I just have to live with these visions?” I asked.
“Yes, but you can learn to control them.”
“I don’t want to learn to control them, I want them to go away!” I yelled at her and stood from the swing, making the hinges creak as the bench swung back and forth.
“Violet, calm down.”
“No, you don’t get to tell me to calm down! You haven’t been a part of my life for years and now, now you come back just to tell me to suck it up. Don’t you get it? This is my life we’re talking about!” I turned my back on my aunt and walked over to the railing lining the backyard.
“Exactly. This is your life and you need to start taking it seriously.”
“I’m taking it as seriously as I can, given the circumstances.”
“I know it’s not fair to drop all of this on you and expect you to just accept it.”
“You’re damn right it isn’t fair!”
“I know, but you do need to accept it.”
“Are we finished?” I asked, turning back to look at her. She still sat on the swing, calmly waiting for me to return.
“Not quite. Please, come and sit down,” she said, patting on the swing.
“What else is there to talk about?” I spat at her.
“Your parents.”
“What about them?” I crossed my arms. She was the one person left alive who knew my parents and I wanted to hear anything she had to say about them, but I didn’t want her to know how eager I was to talk. I was too frustrated about everything else.
“You need to know the truth about how they died,” Aunt Beth added.
Her words shot through me like ice water in my veins. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. The truth… what truth?
“There was a car accident and-” my voice shook as I struggled for words.
“No, there wasn’t,” she interrupted me. “Come sit.” She patted the seat next to her.
I walked back to the swing, slowly, feeling the weight of each step.
“What do you mean there wasn’t a car accident?” I sat down next to her, in shellshock.
“You’re not going to like this.” She pursed her lips.
“What really happened to them?”
“They were murdered.”
I looked at my aunt in disbelief. Why was she doing this? My parents died in a car accident. They weren’t murdered! There was a whole investigation and the police found no foul play. They’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Let me show you,” Aunt Beth sighed and reached for me.
“Show me?” I asked, moving away from her grasp.
“You have to understand, I did what I thought was best for you. I was just trying to protect you.”
“What on Earth are you talking about?”
“I altered your memory so you wouldn’t be burdened with the truth.”
“You what!” I yelled at her. I jumped off the swing and backed away from my aunt. I had never felt so betrayed in all my life.
“Violet, you hadn’t talked in weeks, not a word to anyone. I had to do something. I couldn’t stand seeing you in so much pain,” she implored, begging me to understand. She stood up from the swing and took a step toward me.
“Wait, what do you mean I didn’t talk for weeks? I spoke at their funeral.”
“No, you didn’t.” She took another step toward me.
“Yes, I did,” I said, stamping my feet and holding my ground. I remembered how hard it was for me to walk up to the podium and talk in front of all those people, the pain in my throat as I spoke.