Disclaimer: I do not own the Sweep series, that right belongs to the wonderful Cate Tiernan, who created these wonderful characters.
Chapter Two
Morgan
"Okay, well, call me if you find anything," I said to Hunter that night as I talked to him over the phone. He was planning on checking out a few of the warehouses downtown, just him and Sky tomorrow, to see if they could find anything relating to the vision. I had wanted to go with them, but Hunter had insisted I stay home, in case there was something dangerous happening in one of those warehouses, he didn't want me in the middle of it. I had argued that I could handle whatever came at me, but Hunter was persistent. So, I was staying where it was safe.
"I will, I promise," Hunter replied, his voice low and his accent chilling me to the bone. "We're going to find Ciaran before he can hurt you again." We talked for a few more minutes, just talking about everything and nothing at the same time, neither one of us wanted to be the first to hang up. In the end, Hunter was the one who hung up first and I immediately felt the ache for him down in the core of my being.
Placing the phone on my bedside table, I leaned back against my pillows with a sigh. My eyes slid to my closed closet doors, an idea slowly forming in my head. Quickly, before I could talk myself out of it, I leaped off the bed and flew to the closet, throwing open the doors. I had just slid out the small footlocker from the back of the closet, which stood as my makeshift alter when I heard a soft knock at my door.
"Morgan? Are you busy?" my younger sister's voice floated through the closed door and I jumped at not sensing her approach. I quickly shoved the locker back inside the closet and closed the doors. Jumping into the chair at my desk and flipping open a textbook, pretending to have been doing homework I told my sister to come in.
A second later, Mary K. came into the room, wearing pink pajama bottoms and a matching pink tank top her long, not as long as mine, brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail that was draped over one shoulder. She sat down on my bed and I watched her pull her legs up under her, the whole time she never met my steady gaze.
"Is everything okay?" I asked her, turning completely in my chair, so that I faced her directly.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Mary K. answered, running her hand across my comforter and then finally picking her head up to look at me.
"I don't know," I shrugged, hoping she'd say what was bothering her. She stayed silent. "Mary K-"
"How did you move on...after Cal?" Mary K. suddenly asked, taking me completely by surprise. I got up and came to sit beside her on the bed.
"Is that what this is about?" I questioned her. "About Bakker?"
"Why does everyone assume I'm still hung up on him?" Mary K. suddenly exclaimed jumping up from the bed. "First Alisa, now you. I am over him, he has nothing-"
"Mary K., it's okay," I said, pulling her back down. I took a deep breath and continued. "It wasn't easy, not by a long shot. I mean, I loved Cal and I thought he loved me too. After he left, I wasn't sure I would be able to be close to anyone again, especially Hunter. But after some time and getting to know Hunter, I realized that I hadn't closed my heart to love and I could be with someone who truly cares and loves me."
Mary K. looked up at me, her brown eyes searching mine. "I'm happy for you, I really am, but why haven't I been able to move on? It's not like he... you know."
I pulled my sister into a hug just then, holding her tightly. "And I'm so grateful for that," I whispered, I pulled back, holding her at arms' length. "But he almost did and, Mary K., that's still lot to try to get past. The first relationship you have after that is bound to be hard, but you have to keep moving forward because you're letting Bakker win and that's what he wants. I'm so proud at how far you've come already and I know you can do this."
Mary K. nodded and wiped at a few tears that had escaped during my little speech. "Hey, how about we go shopping tomorrow?" I suggested, handing her a tissue. "I'll even let you pick out some stuff for me,"
Mary K. couldn't help but laugh. "Are you sure? 'Cause I'm going to hold you to that," she said getting up from my bed. "We haven't been shopping together in a long time and you are long overdue for a new wardrobe," With that, she started walking over to the door.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" I called after her, but she only waved me off before disappearing out the door, no doubt already planning my new outfit. I groaned inwardly, already regretting my decision. But I didn't dwell on that for too long. After locking my door and putting up some barrier spells, I pulled my makeshift alter back out of my closet. Slipping out of my clothes, I pulled on my hunter green robe, which had belonged to my biological mother, Maeve Riordan.
I drew a chalk circle on the floor, stepped in and closed the circle. Kneeling in front of the alter, I invoked the four elements and then I turned my attention to the flickering flame on the candle. I always felt a strange connection to fire, something I had inherited from my mother. She, too, liked to work with fire. Closing my eyes, I cleared my mind of all thoughts, concentrating only on the small, flickering flame. Then, quietly, I started speaking the words of a spell.
"I feel something coming,
something that could destroy everyone I care about.
Please show me what it is and how I can stop it."
Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw that the flame had expanded and I could see images started to blink into focus. At first, I wasn't sure what I was looking at, but then the silhouette of wolf appeared before my eyes. My heart started beating fast, afraid that I was right of what it meant. Then the image was gone and another one took its place. This time it was a person. A girl, about my age it looked like, with some Cherokee features. Her long, black hair framed her face, her onyx-colored eyes stared right at me and she seemed to be saying something. But the one thing that stuck out was the intricate sapphire- blue tattoos that started on her forehead and continued down to frame her cheekbones. And suddenly, the image of the mysterious girl was gone and the fire was an ordinary flame once again.
I sat there for a moment, trying to process what I had just seen. Who was this girl? And what did she have to do with whatever was happening? I shivered remembering the wolf, knowing instantly that it was Ciaran, my biological father. A few months ago, he had shown me how to shape-shift, turning himself into a large, grey wolf. I tried to convince myself that he was longer a threat, Hunter had stripped him of his powers and he was now living in a place in Scotland. It didn't work.
After a few minutes of just sitting there and not coming up with any answers, I dismantled my circle and shoved my alter back into my closet. I slipped off Maeve's robe, folding it up and putting at the bottom of my dresser, I pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Crawling into bed, I shut off the light and lay there in the dark, trying to come up with answers to the vision. All I succeeded in doing was giving myself a headache. I turned onto my side, temporarily giving up, I would sleep on it and then discuss it tomorrow with Hunter.
Cal
I couldn't go back. I wouldn't. I don't know how I came back to life, but I had gotten this second chance and I was going to do it right this time. My mother would no longer influence my decisions, control my life. I was severing all ties with her and breaking out on my own. Join a new coven, maybe, someplace far away from Selene Belltower.
I hitched my pack higher on my shoulder and kept walking along the road. I desperately wished I had my car, but I hadn't wanted to risk that Selene had spelled it somehow. At least, I had thought to steal some cash from the safe she thinks she's kept hidden from me. I smiled at the thought of her finding the nearly five hundred dollars missing.
My plan was to head to the city, clear my head and decide where I wanted to start my new life from there. But before I left, there was one thing I had to do first. Something I wouldn't forgive myself for if I didn't at least try. I had to warn Morgan to what Selene was planning on doing. She may not want to listen to me, heck she may not even believe I'm really here, but I had to make her understand what she was up against.
Before I knew it, I was on her street and looking up at her darkened house. It was late, I knew, but I had held out hope that she would still be awake, being the night owl that she is. No such luck. Her room was dark. Despite my reservations, I didn't want to wake her, she deserved a peaceful night sleep before I dumped everything on her, after everything I'd done to her I owed at least that much.
So, switched my pack to my other shoulder, I cloaked my presence and trudged toward the backyard. I settled myself between two trees far enough away so that I wouldn't be seen, but still close enough to tell what was going on. I pulled a thermos out my pack and took a few sips of the coffee it held. Afterwords, I pulled my jacket tighter, it wasn't freezing, but the temperature had definitely dropped, and leaned against the tree, determined to at least get a few hours sleep.
Sgath.
My eyes snapped open at the sound of my mother's voice. I knew she had called only by a witch message, but I couldn't help looking over my shoulder to make sure she wasn't anywhere nearby. She wasn't there and I didn't answer her. It was only a matter of time til she found out I was gone, I guess I was hoping I would be farther away when she did. Nonetheless, she had which meant I only had a limited amount of time before she came after me or sent someone to fetch me as if I was some disobedient dog who had ran away from home.
Sgath, come home, her voice came again. We need to talk.
I snorted back a laugh. If she actually thought I was going back, she had another thing coming. I was no longer her puppet she could pull the strings of and she knew it. I did a spell to block her from reaching out to me again and again tried to get some sleep this time.
Morgan
I felt the presence even before I was fully awake. Someone was outside. I shot up out of bed and hurried to my window that overlooked the backyard. It took a second for my magesight to set in, but once it did I could see every detail of the yard. A few leaves rustled on the ground, but besides that everything seemed normal. But I still felt something, it wasn't as strong as before, but I could still detect the barest hint of someone lurking outside. It sent chills racing up my spine and goosebumps to erupt on my arms.
Movement at the edge of the trees drew my gaze toward the old tire swing my dad hung for Mary K. and I when we were younger, but it was only a squirrel that jumped it to the tree it hung from. But if I squinted hard enough I could make out small movements of the leaves that hung dangerously low on the next tree.
Show yourself. I mouthed the words, my breath steaming up the glass as I did so. And just like that, the movements stopped as if whatever it was had sensed I was trying to reach out toward it.
Who are you?
A/N: If anybody is reading this story, please review and tell what you or what I could improve on. I love hearing what anyone has to say, even if it's just a 'good job'. So, please review and let me know what you think.
