Part 14 (2/2)
”Circle? Like circle of friends?” I wasn't sure she had that many.
But she shook her head and lifted her eyes, focusing on me. ”No, circle of witches. Like a coven.”
”Witches?”
She shrugged. ”I don't expect you to believe me, but you asked what was going on, so I've told you. Do what you want with it.”
I thought back to the conversation I'd had with Flynn about how all the names of the places in Sage Springs were linked to the town's history, and how the founders of the town had all been into their herbal medicine. I already knew magic was involved here, from the symbols, to the pools, to the dreams I'd been having since I got here. The existence of a coven didn't surprise me, though Laurel's involvement did.
”I believe you. Is that what the symbol is for, the one with the star and the circle? Magic?”
”Yes. We are the points of the star, and the circle binds us. We're all descendents of the original founders of the town, and it's our job to watch over Sage Springs. Make sure it stays safe.”
”But it isn't going to stay safe,” I said, my tone suddenly urgent. ”Something bad is going to happen.”
She narrowed her eyes. ”How do you know that? Is it like how you knew about the accident at the carnival? I told you the truth, now it's your turn.”
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I pondered the idea for a moment and decided against it. The partial truth would have to do.
”I see things that haven't happened yet,” I admitted. ”And some things that have happened already.”
”Wow. You're a precog?”
”A what?”
”A precognitive. Someone who can see the future.”
”Well, yeah. I guess that's what I am then.” I wasn't planning on filling her in on the and I'm half vampire' part.
”And you think something bad is going to happen?”
I nodded. ”I know it is. I've been seeing it ever since I got here.”
She chewed on her lower lip.
”What is it?” I asked.
”I don't know if it's connected, but in about eighteen hours there will be a Disruptive Convergence.”
”A what?”
”There will be an exceptional alignment of planets in our solar system. The moon and three other planets will be aligned in such a way that it will cause a great s.h.i.+ft in the earth's energy from one of peace to war.”
I couldn't help my laugh of disbelief. ”This is supposed to be a peaceful world?”
”Yes, compared to what the world would be like in a warlike cycle. The way the planets align mean that the earth's dark energies can be tapped into. This isn't just a warlike cycle, it's also known as the h.e.l.l' cycle.”
”That doesn't sound good.”
”You can say that again.”
”But why Sage Springs?”
”There's a place in the forest that's special-”
”The pools,” I interrupted. ”I've seen them.”
Laurel widened her eyes at me. ”You have?”
”Yeah, a couple of times now.”
”Oh...kay,” she said slowly, as if taking this new piece of information in. ”Well, the pools in the forest act as portals between our world and the afterlife. Flynn is supposed to protect them, but since the mining has come so close, he's struggled.”
”Flynn?” I said. ”Why Flynn?”
”Flynn Matthews is an Elemental.”
”A what?” I was starting to feel like a parrot squawking out the same two words over and over.
”An Elemental,” she restated. ”They're powerful witches who can control the elements.”
”You've got to be kidding.” I'd come across witchcraft before, but not this particular kind. Trust my luck to have decided to make my home in a town full of G.o.d-d.a.m.ned witches. ”So can he control all elements?” The thought of this was so powerful, it was terrifying.
But Laurel shook her head. ”No. Each Elemental has a specific element they can control. For Flynn, it's water.”
”Which is why he's such a strong swimmer,” I said, piecing things together.
”That definitely helps. But when the planets align, they have an effect on the water-”
”Like the moon and the tide?” I offered.
She smiled. ”Exactly. So the water is displaced, and this makes it easier for the afterlife to pa.s.s through into our world.”
Was that where the body had ended up, I wondered, together with my clothes? In the afterlife? Riley had said that things didn't come back once they'd entered the pools, but what if they did? What if at a particular time, when the planets were aligned, they were able to come back?
I didn't mention either Jordy's body or my bloodied clothes to Laurel. Instead, I said, ”And this is what creates the h.e.l.l cycle?”
She nodded, but this time her expression was grim. ”Yep. The h.e.l.l cycle.”
”But what have the carnival people got to do with all of this?”
<script>