Chapter 53 - Playing with things you don't understand.

Chapter 53 - Playing with things you don't understand.

Nadia

It was simply incredible to listen to Gillian trying to explain what they had on the other side of what he called the veil. It sounded as though they really lived in peace, especially when he told us that none of them held any grudges after the war.

They weren’t just released from the bonds of the ghost leader, but it seemed they were also released from the things that held them here. They didn’t feel pain or resentment and they weren’t plotting revenge. Not that any of us could actually imagine them taking revenge when they could only speak to us while we were seated on a bench.

I felt an enormous sense of peace rush over me while Lucca and Gillian chatted, and I sat looking up at the sky. If I was honest, I would have to admit that I was a little jealous of the ghosts and their idyllic home. It was a good feeling to know that we had not only brought peace to our country but also to the spirit world. I couldn’t imagine anything going wrong.

“Gillian, I’ve been meaning to ask you. When Lucca and I were fighting I felt power pulsate through my body.” I frowned when he smiled. “Did you have anything to do with that, because it was what gave us that last bit of power to win the war.” I wasn’t sure why I thought he had something to do with it. It just popped into my head so I asked.

“Well, I didn’t directly have anything to do with it. The more ghosts you killed, the weaker the leader became. The weaker he became, the more the rest of us could do. It was a group effort, and we weren’t even sure if we could do it. We projected our collective power on you and Lucca. I’m actually surprised to hear that you felt it, but we could see it.” He grinned, and my eyes grew wide.

Gillian explained that as soon as the leader died, this new home they were living in appeared and as soon as they crossed the veil, they weren’t able to come back again. Not wanting to take the chance that they might die if they stayed behind, all the ghosts that were left crossed and they could see the veil drop. It was an incredible story and I wanted to hear more, but it was growing late. I could feel Lucca’s sadness about leaving, and I felt the same way.

“I wondered if there was some way we could lift the veil. A way for us to see and speak to them without having to be seated on the couch.” I thought out loud on our way back to the city. Lucca laughed, making me frown for a moment.

“I don’t think we should meddle in things we don’t understand. Just think about all the trouble the ghost leader caused while he was there. Maybe there is a reason why ghosts shouldn’t be part of our daily lives.” Lucca shrugged, and I had to agree with him, unfortunately. Things might not always work out the way we wanted them to, but it always worked out the way it was meant to.

There was definitely a reason why the ghosts couldn’t get through. We made our way back home and picked up the kids from my parents before returning to the castle. Lucca seemed happier after talking to Gillian and I no longer felt as if I was going nuts. But I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way we could communicate with them without sitting on the bench. It was as if my thoughts invited trouble! I was sitting in my office working on something when Lucca burst through the door. His face was pale as he rushed to the window.

“We have to move!” He shouted before drawing the curtains and grabbing the kids. I was still sitting there stunned when he rushed to my side and pulled me up. “NADIA! We have to move!”

“Why? What’s going on?” I sounded out of breath as Lucca rushed us out of the office and down the stairs. All around us, people were running downstairs.

“The witches!” Lucca looked panicked. I had never seen him panic.

“Wait, what?! What do you mean witches?” I stopped walking, and he gripped my arm again to drag me downstairs. We bundled into the dungeons and I immediately thought about everyone else in our country! Would they have someplace safe to hide?! “Lucca, what the hell is going on?!” I shouted as I sat down, and he put the kids down in front of me.

“The witches haven’t been here in centuries. The last time they were there, all the young girls disappeared. Nadia, I don’t have time to explain. I need to get out there.” He kissed me and the kids and disappeared. I remembered reading about the war with the witches. They lived somewhere far away. On the other side of the world somewhere.

There wasn’t much information about their home, since nobody from here had ever been there. If they were, they sure as hell hadn’t written anything about it. That made me wonder how Lucca knew about them. We heard an explosion above us and all around us dust fell as people huddled together in fear. I wondered for a split-second if that was the last time I would ever see Lucca, but I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind.

I focused on the people. Making sure that all the elderly, the children and the females who weren’t warriors were safely tucked away with the rest of us. We hadn’t prepared for anything like this, which meant there was no water or food. I looked around quickly and told someone to look after my children. Without a second thought, I rushed upstairs to look for water.

I grabbed a bottle and found a basket and filled it with as much food as I could. All around me the castle shuddered, and I wondered what the hell was going on outside. I caught sight of one of the windows in the kitchen and when a witch flew past the window, I ducked and disappeared downstairs.