Disclaimer: Does not own WITCH

Love is a Hearts Child: 3 – Two Halves of Dark Hearts

Chapter 3

"GET UP GUARDIAN." The maelstrom of voice boomed waking Will from her slumber. Focusing her eyes, Will tried to see. Pitch darkness lay all around her, not a single flicker of light in sight. "I SAID GET UP." The voices choired, Will tried to figure out where they had come from, or who the voices belong to, but she couldn't do either. Not seeing a course of action, nor foe to fight Will complied with the demand and forced herself to her feet. It was difficult to stand, when she couldn't see anything.

Will tried to talk, to demand where her daughter was. To ask where she was, to order the voices to tell her what had happened. She could feel her mouth move, but no words came forth. "DO NOT WORRY. YOUR DAUGHTER IS SAFE, AND SHE WILL REMAIN SO IF YOU DO AS I ASK. AS FOR YOUR FRIEND, SHE IS BACK HOME, WITH NO MEMORY OF VISITING YOUR HOME THIS MORNING." The combined voices explained. "WILL YOU COMPLIE, FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR CHILD?" They asked. "What do you want?" Will tried to ask in return, surprised to realise her voice had returned. "THAT IS SIMPLE, YOU WILL BRING ME SOMETHING I DESIRE." The voices told her, and started to explain.

-

Irma, Hay Lin and Steven appeared in the basement of the bookshop. Taranee, Cornelia, Caleb and Cedric were already there waiting. "Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Irma asked not knowing why the group was gathered together. Taranee explained Will's and Brigitte's disappearance, a told her the Orube was on her way, and that as soon as she arrived they would all go to the oracle and demand to know where Will was.

"Why wait, we don't all need to ask do we?" Irma asked. "Irma has a point, a couple of us can wait here for Orube, and the rest can go ask the oracle." Cornelia agreed with Irma an uncommon occurrence. "We don't know what caused Will's disappearance; I'd feel safer if we stuck together." Taranee tried to explain. "Safer? Will and my child could be in danger and you want to be safer?" Caleb raised his voice just shy of shouting. "Calm down. She is right to want to stick as a group, but time could be important to safely finding the keeper or the heart. If we split in to equal groups we should still be safe." Cedric said. "I will obviously wait here, I would suggest, Irma and Cornelia stay, and wait here for Orube with me, while the rest of you go to Kandrakar." He told them.

"Who put you in charge?" Irma asked. "No one did Guardian. I am mealy giving the smartest way forward. Caleb must go because he is the one who wishes to know most. Taranee should go, because she has always had a problem with oracle not telling you things, and is the most likely to get an answer. Hay Lin because Yan Lin may reveal to her thing she is not meant to, and Steven to make both group even once Orube arrives, while still having 2 guardians in each of the groups. It is quite simple logic." He explained his reasoning. "I still think we should stick together." Taranee said. "Well I'm not waiting, Cedric plan seem reasonable so I'm going." Caleb said walking over to the portal in the wall and calling up an image of Kandrakar. "Fine." Taranee conceded as more of the group agreed with not waiting.

-

Caleb, Steven, Hay Lin and Taranee appeared in main hall of Kandrakar. "Hay Lin, It is good to see you." The voice of Yan Lin said from behind the group. Hay Lin turned and gave her grandmother a hug. "Yan Lin, where is the oracle?" Caleb asked trying his hardest to stay calm and be polite to the old women. "In his room. I believe he is talking to Will at this moment in time." Yan Lin told Caleb shocking the group. "Will's here." Caleb said losing his cool and darting off towards the oracles room.

-

"I am sorry Will. I cannot see where your daughter is. As for voices you describe something is clouding my vision. I am only able to see Meridian when I try to see either of them." The oracle explained. "I am truly sorry that I cannot help, I sometimes feel that being able to see the future most of the time does not matter if I cannot when I would most like to be able to." He continued to say, truly sounding regretful that he was unable to help. "I understand." Will said sombrely. "Also Will, you should have told the others before coming here. Your friends are all seriously concerned, Caleb in fact is charging straight here now he knows you are here." The oracle told her. "I'm sorry." Will said mind ablaze not completely hearing him. "Do not worry, I know you fear and concern lead your actions." The oracle said.

Caleb barged into the oracle's room, not caring if it was impolite and stormed up to Will when he saw her, crushing her in a hug. He held back tear of seeing she was safe. "I was so worried, I thought you were gone, where's Brigitte?" He asked. Will didn't reply. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. "Will?" Caleb asked growing worried again. Will still didn't reply, but instead broke down and start crying into Caleb shoulder. Caleb held Will into his chest, and looked up at the oracle. "Where is my daughter?" Caleb demanded glaring daggers at the oracle. ""Kidnapped by some unknown force. Will came to me when she couldn't find her in order to ask where. She was so worried it seemed she did not think to tell you all. As far as I can see, the only place I can see relating to your daughter or her kidnapper is Meridian." The oracle explained in Will stead, seeing that she was to grief stricken to do so herself.

The oracle was forced to explain again, once the others had caught up with Caleb. Taranee however didn't accept it. "Hay Lin, Steven. Take them home and then explain to the others, I'll be a minute behind you, and then we will go see Elyon and see if she has noticed anything on Meridian." Taranee ordered the others. Caleb tried to refuse, by Will made him do so, and the 4 left Kandrakar. "Where is she?" Taranee shouted at the oracle, fire in her eyes. "Do not lie to me; I am not in the mood for it." She continued to shout. "While I have held secrets in the past Taranee, I do not know where Will's daughter is." The oracle replied calmly, sitting down on the floor. "But I will not stop meditating to try and find her until I do." He said crossing his legs.

The thought of forcing a better answer out of the oracle crossed Taranee mind. It shocked her that she would think such a thing, but he had lied to them in the past about not knowing things, and she no longer knew if she could trust him. However she knew that the oracle would not a give an answer he did not want to even under duress and that wasting any more time on him was pointless.

-

Arriving back at the bookshop. Taranee took in the scene. Everyone looked upset at the missing child, excluding Cedric who was hard hearted most of the time to show any emotion. Will was in the corner with Caleb, crying silent sobs. The other 3 guardians and Orube crowded around her trying to calm her, with promises of finding Brigitte.

Cedric walked up to Taranee. "I suppose the oracle still didn't reveal anything to you." He said seeing the expression on her face. "No." She replied simply unable to put thought into anything else. "Then I would like to speak to privately. Steven could you keep an eye on everyone, so they don't run off recklessly?" Cedric asked Steven as he led Taranee towards the stairs. Steven gave Cedric a questioning look before agreeing; watch as the pair went upstairs.

Taranee had only half realised that she had been led away. Her mind was putting all its effort in to trying to come up with a plan that she hadn't noticed. "Get a hold of yourself guardian." Cedric said putting a hand on Taranee shoulder. "At least one of you needs to be in their right mind to think about things logically." He said, leading Taranee to take a seat at his desk, before sitting himself.

"Steven managed to tell me what the oracle said, he could only see Meridian could he not?" Cedric asked in order to make sure his fact were correct. "Yes that's right." Taranee replied shaking herself to get a hold on herself. "Good, then listen carefully." Cedric told her, opening a draw of his desk and placing a file on the desk.