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“It was always the same darkness and his voice, before my throat was ripped out.”

“And you’d never met this rogue until this evening, correct?”

“No, I’d always thought they were just messed up night terrors.” My eyes widened as I realised she knew more about my damn dreams than I did.

“Foresight? No, it can’t be.” The Crone muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing on me again as she once again assessed me.

“Foresight hasn’t been gifted to the witches since the Scottish witch trials.” Tilly said, looking shocked as her eyes ran over me.

“No, it has not. It was a gift we’d thought had died out,” The Crone said, her tone clipped.

“Why are you talking as if any of this is normal?” I asked.

“Because to us, it is normal,” Tilly said gently, addressing me for the first time, “and in time it will become normal to you.”

“Take her to the High Council in London, they may have some insight into who she belongs to.” The Crone said dismissively, before striding to the hotel door and leaving.

“Urrrggg,” I groaned in frustration and flopped down on my back on the bed, “will someone please explain what universe I’ve fallen into and how I get back to my regular life?” I asked no one in particular and the resounding silence that answered terrified me. “I will get back to normal, won’t I?” I asked, my voice wobbling a little.

The bed dipped beside me and when I turned my head I met Dina’s dark eyes as she said, “this has always been your normal, you just didn’t know it.” Her voice was gentle and each word was spoken slowly, yet my head still shook and tears gathered in my eyes.

“No, no, no,” I muttered.

“I know we’re ripping your world from beneath your feet but you really are a witch. I don’t know how you came to be in the human care system, but you’ve always been and always will be a Witch, Charleene.”

“I’ve always known I was different, I mean why else would no one want me, when they took the other children around me. I’d always blamed it on my terrors.” I hiccupped and let my tears fall as I wondered if all this time, no one had wanted me because on some level they’d known what I was. “Would they, humans I mean, have been able to tell what I was?” I asked, dreading to have my fears confirmed.

“All humans suspect that creatures exist and their guts tell them when we are near.” Tilly confirmed. “It is highly likely that when your powers awakened at twelve and your terrors began, then the humans around you will have instinctively known something was different about you.”

“Fan-bloody-tastic, everyone always said I was a freak and they were right.” I grumbled, allowing myself to wallow in my own self-despair for a few moments.

“You’re not a freak.” Dina snapped at me, taking me by surprise. “Just because you are different, does not make you a freak.”

“I know you’re right, but at this moment I feel like a pretty big freak.”

“Dina has already filled me in on what she overheard, but what did the rogue say to you this evening?” Tilly asked, “Charleene, what did he say?” she repeated when I didn’t answer.

“He kept going on about how I was the one he’d been searching for and that he'd been looking for a long time.” I summarised, wracking my brain for what he’d said to me.

“Take her to London. Tonight. Get her out of this city.” Tilly ordered, dragging me from my tumbling thoughts.

“What? I’m not going anywhere.” I informed her, propping myself up on my elbows to show her just how serious I was. “I have a life here, a job, my studies, and friends.”

“I’m not giving you a choice. If you stay here, she’ll be distracted,” she explained pointing at Dina, who nodded in agreement, “and you are now a target.”

“But—” I began.

“No buts about it. Dina is taking you to London, while I hunt this bastard down and put an end to his witch hunt.”

Chapter Nine

How is it that suddenly my life is no longer my own to control? - Charleene.

As it turns out, there is no arguing with two surly vampires. No matter what I’d said, I still found myself bundled into a low black sports car and being driven out of York, shortly after the sun had set this evening. Dina’s hand rubbed up and down my thigh as I huffed out another deep sigh at the unfairness of this whole situation. I hadn’t asked for any of this and now my life was in tatters.

“We’ll find out who abandoned you as a baby.” Dina said suddenly, interpreting my sullen mood with the wrong reason.

“I don’t care who it was. They obviously didn’t want me, I’ve never lost any sleep over them and I’m not about to start now.” I told her.