CHAPTER 27

Emmy It’s been weeks since we arrived at the manor. Nonstop training is all we have been doing. We have all gotten pretty good at our weapons. We have been building trust in the team. Darren has us doing his version of trust falls right now. One of us climbs up a tree, and then we fall backwards off the tree, and trust that our teammates will save us from hitting the ground. It's a serious twist on a trust fall, that was for sure, considering the person falling could get seriously hurt which is why Stella is on standby since she is a witch.

It’s hard learning to work as a team. Well not for everyone. Carter is a natural, I guess from all those years of being on different sports teams has come in handy for him. I, on the other hand, am having a harder time working with a team. I have been a loner for so long that it’s second nature for me to just do stuff by myself, but I can't always do that on the battlefield. The thing is I trusted my teammates. I know they were all good witches, warlocks, and humans. They would die to save me just like I would've died to save them. I have to break my loner habit which is proving to be a bit difficult.

Another challenge is getting used to working with our animal companions and having them work with the team. That’s taking a lot of practice. Individually we work well with our animal companions but adding them into the team mix is proving to be more difficult than expected.

Part of my problem is that I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on inside of me. I’ve had no luck getting to the library like I originally planned on doing. I tried sneaking out one night, but Vivian caught me. Apparently, she had put a magical enchantment on our doors and windows at night so she would know if we snuck out. Vivian doesn’t mess around when it comes to making sure we get plenty of rest and food for training. I’m trying to find a way to bypass her enchantment, but I’ve had no luck.

Another problem is that we still didn't know who the big bad is that we were supposed to be fighting. We are all getting annoyed that we don't know because we feel like we are training blindly, but Darren insists that’s not true at all, and Vivian keeps repeating herself that we will find out soon.

“I see it in the stars. Soon, my children, soon you will find out who it is. Who is threatening our world?” I can hear her words echo in my head. Well, the stars better have their shit together because if we don't find out soon, I’m going to lose it. Damn there it is that darkness inside of me. It’s so angry and full of rage.

I don’t like not knowing things and right now that’s what I seem to be faced with. I don’t know what’s going on inside of me, and I don't know who to talk to about it. I don’t know who my enemy is, and I still feel like I’m missing something with my family tree. Not to mention there’s still mystery surrounding my mom. Too many questions and not enough answers is my problem.

We are all being met with challenges. Vivian wasn’t kidding when she said we would be pushed to our limits, not just physically, but mentally as well. I’ve learned more magic in the few weeks I have been at the manor then in the few months I had with Kenzie. At the end of every day, I’m tired and drained. The only other one who is having as hard of time as I am, is Avery. She and I have been bonding lately. I’m now walking back to the manor for lunch since we are now done with the horrible trust fall exercise. We of course are the two that are behind the rest of the group, everyone else is way ahead of us.

“I don’t know how much more I can take of this,” I declare in frustration.

“Ugh me either. I was so happy to come along with Bex at first, but now I wish I stayed home. I feel horrible saying that because I love Bex so much, but damn, this is hard.” Avery says as she looks around us afraid someone might her confession.

“Tell me about it. How the hell is Carter enjoying himself? I mean he’s loving this training right now. He’s totally in his element and I’m over here not having a clue what to do. I guess all those years of sports helped.”

“Seriously. Carter and Ryan are super amped about training. Alice, Brie, and Bex seem to be doing better than us. They are starting to get into it. At first, they were like us, and now they have been converted. Why can’t we be converted?”

“Wouldn’t that be nice? Even Luna is having fun. What I want to know is how is everyone not freaking out that we don’t know who the big bad is? They were at first but now they just seem to have forgotten.”

“I don’t know. It bothers me too. Maybe it bothers us because we have been through stuff the others haven’t. I mean I was cursed by my own stepsister, and well you seem to come from a family full of secrets and a mom who was a rebel. Emmy are you afraid that you are somehow related to the big bad? Is that why you are freaking out?”

I swallow hard. Avery hit the nail on the head.

“Yeah. I can’t shake the feeling.”

I stop and pull Avery off the main path.

“Look, don't say anything to anyone. I keep having these dreams of a woman that looks like my mom calling to me to follow her, but it’s not my mom. Like it looks like her, but she is dressed in a long black dress that has long bell sleeves. The dress is belted with a metal belt that goes around her waist and then falls the length of the dress. It’s a very medieval look. Anyway, when she looks at me her eyes are black, and her skin is very pale. When she calls my name, it’s not my mom’s voice. It’s dark and evil sounding. There’s thin black smoke that surrounds her.” I confess. These dreams are linked to the darkness I feel inside. I know they are, but I won’t tell Avery that part.

“What does she do?”

“Nothing, she just calls my name, and points her finger at me to come to her. The sky is grey behind her. I always wake up in a cold sweat. The dreams just started a few days ago. I don’t know if it’s just my mind freaking out because we don’t know who the big bad is, or if it means something. I don’t want to tell anyone because they will make a big deal out of it, and I don’t want that.”

“I won’t tell anyone. We need to get back before they come looking for us.”

I agree. We head back to the manor to eat lunch, and then it is back to training. I don't know why my mom is in my dreams. She is dead, but maybe I miss her or something. I don't know. My head hurts trying to figure this mess out. I know if I told the others they would make a huge thing out of nothing. It’s the same reason I don't mention the darkness brewing inside of me. There’s all this pressure to do well and succeed that I’m afraid if I mention dreams or darkness everyone will freak out.

I want to know more about my dreams and the darkness before I say something. I must get to the library. The books there are filled with information. Even if I can just get an idea of what it all means I would feel more comfortable going to Vivian about it, but since I’m clueless I just can’t bring myself to do it. I can’t even believe I told Avery about the dreams, but I know she won’t say anything and even if she does, she’d be doing me a favor. Maybe I told her in hopes she will say something to Vivian, so I don’t have to. I admit it would make it easier for me.

Another week of weird dreams and more training. Life is getting mundane. It’s the same thing every day. We are all gathered in the clearing where we normally train. Darren is talking and giving pointers. Darren is very passionate about training which now I know where Carter gets it from. At least he is bonding with his uncle. Carter is holding my hand. I’m glad he is me, but I wish I had him to myself. What did a girl have to do to get some alone time with her boyfriend?

We have been so wrapped up in training that I’ve had now alone time with Carter or Alice. I was hoping that I’d get to spend time with Alice but there’s no time for a hang out session or dates with all the training we are doing. There’s no end in sight either, every day the training gets more intense. They are working us hard, but they must. So much is riding on the team and we did start from zero. It’s not like any of us knew how to fight when we started months ago.

Reapers and Warriors go through years of training before they even get to go out on the field, but we are learning everything in months not years. Part of it is because we don’t know when this big bad will start trouble, so we must be prepared as much as possible. It’s insane but there’s not much that can be done about it.

My dreams are taking over me at night. They are getting more real, and I don't get it. Along with the dreams becoming more intense so is the darkness in me. I’ve had no luck getting to the library. As much as I don’t want to tell Vivian I might not have a choice. I’m starting to lose control and it’s showing. I’ve been blaming it on lack of sleep but soon that excuse isn’t going to work anymore. I’m coming undone inside, something is shifting, something powerful and dangerous. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this to myself before something bad happens. Whatever is happening to me I need help with it, but I’m not sure who can help me. Something deep in my soul cries out in desperation to someone somewhere. I don’t know who, but I can only hope they can help me.