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“What happened?” I force out past the lump that’s suddenly clogging my very tight throat.

“I’m not certain,” Gladys replied sadly as she continued to check Charleene over.

“What exactly is she?” I shrieked at Jace, interrupting his mantra as he attempted to wake Ally. “Jacin, what type of ancient one is she?”

“It doesn’t matter,” He growled back at me.

“It most definitely does, she’s a ticking time bomb. None of us understand what triggers her, maybe if we knew what race she belongs to, it might help.” I shrieked before turning back to Charleene and blocked out everything else as my heart ripped in two.

Chapter Nineteen

I really want to be a glass half full kind of girl, but when life keeps kicking you, can you remain optimistic?-Charleene

“Right Charleene, please relax this shouldn’t hurt, we are sisters in a fashion. I mean you no harm.” I found myself relaxing with her calm voice, she almost sounded motherly as she reassured me. It took me a few seconds to relax my body, to feel calm and centred. “Close your eyes and find one thought or place that makes you feel safe.”

Following Gladys’ voice I searched my mind for a time when I felt safe, and the only thought that came to mind was the night me and Dina had been intimate. Just the thought of her lips against my skin had a smile gracing my lips.

“Have you got it?” She asked, making me nod straight away. “Good, now sink into that feeling, let the peace flow through you.” Doing as she bid, I let the memory play out in my mind.

Suddenly, I’d felt warmth spread through me from my head all the way down to my toes and I began breathing deeper with each inhale. A gentle pressure pressed against my mind, but I wasn’t scared of it. It was warm and kind, if a feeling could be that, so I embraced it.“Well done child,”I felt more than heard Gladys’ praise inside my mind as I let her in.

“From the ancient lines will come two children, both hunted, betrayed, and loved. Entwined with forces dark and light, of one world but open to many. One will be our salvation, the other our destruction. As ancients return, battles will wage. For gates long shut will be opened, and bridges long burned will be repaired.” I heard Gladys’ voice this time, she sounded like she was miles away while my eyes remained closed.

I felt when she tried to dig deeper, pressure building inside my mind and just when it started to get painful, my eyes flashed open. Gladys stood above me, holding her head as though in pain; I could still feel her searching inside my mind. Movement to my left almost drew my focus from Gladys and as I realised Ally’s intent to yank her away from me, fear swallowed me. Quickly wondering what would happen if she was ripped from my mind, in terror I screamed at Ally, “Don’t touch her!”

Ally’s outstretched hand whipped back to her chest at my words, “What’s wrong with her?”

Watching Gladys for a few seconds I could feel her begin to withdraw, and without knowing how, I found myself saying, “She’ll be fine, but if you startle her she may lash out, she’s still inside the connection.”

“Cryptic much?” Ally muttered, making me question again just how I knew that.

“I can feel her still looking inside, trying to find what’s hidden.” I said, trying my best to explain what was happening without fully understanding.

“And what’s hidden inside of you exactly?”

“I have no idea?” A nervous laugh bubbled from my lips with the words.

“And neither do I. Someone locked you up tight as a baby.” Gladys told me with a strange look.

“Why?” I found myself asking, as another mystery presented itself.

“To protect you, to protect us? Only they who placed the lock on you will know,” Gladys suggested, her eyes filling with sympathy on my behalf, before she looked over at Ally and noticed that she’d moved closer. “What happened while we were connected?”

I let Ally take the lead as I attempted to understand everything she said while somehow looking into my mind, Gladys’ sharp gasp drawing my attention away from my chaotic thoughts.

“You’re a child of the prophecy Charleene, that is why someone went to great lengths to hide you.” Gladys sounded both mystified and sad, confusing mefurther as she just makes new questions rise in my mind.What does being a child of ‘the prophecy’ even mean? Am I good or bad? Did I hurt someone and that’s why the coven sent me away?

“But why? And which one am I?” I asked, as my panic climbs higher and higher.

Gladys’ voice was full of sympathy when she spoke, “Only time will tell, but I do know that children suspected of being connected to that prophecy have been killed for centuries by their own covens.” Her words are no comfort as she explained what has happened to children connected to this so-called prophecy.

“I don’t want to destroy anything, I couldn’t, I wouldn’t….” I babbled, word vomiting each thought as it crossed my mind, until Gladys’ voice interrupted me.

“Ssshhh child, what many fear is that the child will not have much choice in what they do. Many coven leaders have passed that fear onto their own children, generation after generation. You have to remember, no-one likes the unknown.”

She began to sound like she’s talking to me from far away, her voice echoey as though I was standing at the end of a tunnel while she stood at the opposite end.

“Plus, you might not even be one of these children.” Ally’s voice sounded so calm as panic attempted to suck me under. Her voice was clear and loud, making me focus on her instead of my whirling thoughts.