Chapter 36
Savannah’s POV
“Well, we'll figure that out too. When can I get a break?”
“I don't think anytime soon. How are things with Gabriel?”
“We were talking a bit before we came here for dinner. I'm not as mad at him as I want to be.”
“That's the way the mate bond works.”
“And what about you? Have you found her yet?”
“Nope, but we know that the five of us will share her?”
“How do you know?”
“Because we're bound together. The prophecy about you made us one. If one of us is injured, everyone else can feel it.”
“Oh, gosh! I pity that girl already. Dealing with the five of you won't be easy. Thank you for telling me everything. I should go and talk to grandma. I really misunderstood her.”
“She didn't exactly make it easy on you. We didn't agree with her the way she locked you up before giving you an explanation.”
“I'm not reckless. I won't leave the realm until it's safe. Do you guys think she'll remove the seal?”
“Not a chance. She's afraid of what might happen if you get bad news from your mom, best friend or mate.”
“She's not exactly wrong. Without doubt I'll leave and help them.”
“That's why she won't remove it.”
“Damn! How can she know me so well?”
“That's her gift. If she touches someone she'll know her feelings, deepest fears, desires and liabilities.”
“And my biggest liability is family.”
“No, your biggest liability is the fear of losing your family. That's a huge difference. Sometimes fear and liability are the same. You'll always have us, no matter what. Your mother is a witch and can protect herself, same with your mate, Zamyr. Your best friend is safe, she's basically human and I'm sure she's well protected.”
“I know all this, but what if something happens?”
“Nothing will happen to them. Whoever that woman from the prophecy is, only wants you dead. For now, everyone else is safe. Try to turn your mind off. You can't do anything about the situation. We have no leads. Talk to the others and ask around. They might've heard something about bad intentions.”
“The only one I can think of is no longer in the picture. I took care of that issue.”
“What issue?”
“Long story short, my witch ancestor, Iris, cursed a few human families when they killed her. I can lift the curse if I want, but they wanted to force me to do that. A witch, Dalia, who's also part of the family joined them. I cut her out and lost her powers forever.”
“I don't want to burst your happy bubble little cousin, but there's a way.”
“Yeah, black magic, I know. It's extremely hard to find its root, nobody knows where it is, Zadkiel.”
“Its root is in Hell. If a witch gets close enough to the source she can connect with it and siphon the power. It's true that witches can't enter this realm, but they can get close to it, just like Iris did. Dalia won't be able to enter the realm, she's not strong enough, but if she chooses the exact spot on the veil that is the closest to the source that's when you should worry. But no worries, she has only one chance and it's impossible to have such luck finding the right spot.”
“Where is it?”
“She could access it through the human realm, the town's name is Jackson.”
“Oh, crap.”
“What is it?”
“My parents were hiding there from you. I'm not so sure now that it was just a coincidence.”
“You need to ask Uncle Raphael. They might have been protecting the spot. They knew about the prophecy the moment you were born.”
“I'll ask him about this right after I talk to my grandmother. I'll get going now. I need to figure out how to unlock my angel powers.”
Things became messed up again. It was just like a big pile of yarn you need to untangle. When you'd think you found the last knot, three others pop up towards the end of the yarn. It's an almost never ending process. Even though Dalia's chance was extremely slim, she still had a chance. I needed someone to keep an eye on her and report if she leaves Salem. I was hoping she was still there and not on the loose somewhere else. I found my grandmother in the living room.
“I know why you are doing this. The guys told me everything. I'm sorry for my behavior.”
“It's okay my child. It was a lot to take in, but everything was necessary. What do you think?”
“Everything's a mess. They told me how to unlock my powers, but if I'm here how will that work?”
“You don't necessarily have to go to a different realm. It's just easier that way. A sacrifice can be different for everybody. Some would sacrifice their lives, their memories, their possessions. All of that can be done here too. When the time comes, you'll unlock your powers.”
“Did they tell you about the woman?”
“Yeah, and I might know who she is. I'll ask someone to keep an eye on her. She can't reach the source of the dark magic.”
“Child, she will, no matter what you do if that's her destiny. Forget about spying on her.”
“How can she even reach the source? I took away all her magic.”
“No need for magic. Dark magic comes from bad intentions and blood sacrifice. She only has one chance. Just concentrate on strengthening your witch powers. I know you're strong, but training can never be enough. Do you want to talk about anything else?”
“You won't break the seal, will you?”
“That's right. You're still a flight risk once you get some bad news.”
“Ugh, this is not fair. You know everything about me.”
“Don't take this personally. This is for your own good. Now go home to your mate. I think the two of you still need to talk about things.”
“Okay. Good night, grandma.”
“Good night, child.”
Our start would've been so much better if she'd just told me the truth. Instead, she let me be mad at her and a little unreasonable. I opened a portal and arrived at the living room. I couldn't see Gabriel anywhere. I went to the bedroom and at that exact moment Gabriel stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. The moment I registered that, I closed my eyes and turned around. It's not that I was that shy, but I wasn't expecting that sight.
“You can look all you want, I don't mind.”
“Sorry. I didn't know you were here.”
“Don't apologize. How was the talk?”
“A bit of a mess. Honestly, I'm a bit worried. Part of that prophecy just doesn't sit well with me. I feel like I should stop Dalia, but grandma said there's nothing I can do about it.”
“Listen to her. She's been around for a while and seen many prophecies. Every single one of them happened the way it should've. Don't stress too much about it. You have seven protectors. Nothing will happen to you.”
“I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about everyone else.”
“Don't think about worst case scenarios. Go, take a shower and relax.”
It was easier said than done, but I didn't want to start an argument. I pulled out my pajamas. Taking a shower was a good idea. As the hot water hit my body, the tensions slowly dissipated. The confrontation with Dalia can happen tomorrow, in a month or in years. We needed to be prepared. I had no idea if I'd feel something or just see the destruction she'd leave. In the end I decided to listen to my grandmother and leave Dalia alone. I don't really want to risk anything or anyone's life. By the time I was done, Gabriel was laying on the sofa. I switched on the lamp on the bedside table and switched off the ceiling lights.
“Good night Gabriel.”
“Good night.”
My mind refused to switch off though. I was tossing and turning, but as the minutes passed I was more and more awake. Eventually around 3 am my mind finally shut down because of exhaustion and I was out.
*“How is the search going?”
*“Nothing. I can't find anything. It's like that spot doesn't even exist.”
*“Keep trying. Finding it is your only chance.”
*“Jeremy, you're good at bossing people around, but look at you, you can't do anything.”
*“Be careful, Dalia. You can be replaced. The clock is ticking.”
*“Fine, I narrowed down the area to Idaho and Wyoming. I can't do anything else until you find a witch who can show the exact spot. We have one shot.”
*“Are you dense? After that stunt that bitch pulled, nobody will side with you.”
*“There has to be someone, Jeremy.”
*“I'll ask around.”