Alice blushed. “I’m just a level thirty-seven mage with a thirst for blood.”
Daniel looked at me, probably noting the confused look on my face, and explained. “Henry set me up with a character in the same game. I’m a level three warrior, and they’re both awesome in the games.” He sounded so awestruck that I actually laughed.
“We all start out somewhere,” Henry said in a voice so solemn and reassuring that I chuckled again. I’d never understood anyone’s interest in video games, but I loved every person in this room even more after this conversation.
“You guys ready?” Alice asked, drawing us back to our purpose this evening.
We all nodded.
“I’m going to focus on the vision, and all you three need to do is keep your thoughts on me. Think about lending me strength. Think about guiding me to my vision. Don’t let your mind stray, or I might not have the power to call the vision. Visions are for the most part uncontrollable, so I’ll need your energy to do this.” she took a loud and shaky breath. “Got it?”
“Got it,” we all said in unison.
She closed her eyes, and I did what she told us to do. I screwed my eyes shut and remembered the moment Alice told me that someone was coming for my powers. She hadn’t seen more then, but I needed to know more. I needed her to find that vision again. To figure out who or what was coming for me and my powers. Right now, I wanted to give her my strength so she could do whatever she needed.
Something pulled at me from deep within. A tingle moved down my spine, and I squeezed Alice's and Daniel’s hands harder. The tingling spread over my body, and my breathing shallowed.
Something was happening.
I must’ve been shaking so hard that the floor rattled underneath me. Unfortunately, the feeling kept growing until I realized it wasn’t just me. The whole world was shaking. My eyes flew open, and Daniel and Henry both stared at Alice with wide eyes, before turning their heads to look around at the shaking house. Pots and pans clanged together in the kitchen. A picture frame fell off a shelf. Knickknacks and books rattled on the shelves.
Was this a poorly timed earthquake or something else? Something connected to Alice’s powers?
No way this was a coincidental act of nature. Plus, there had never been a significant earthquake in Mystic Hollow before. I was betting on the latter.
Alice’s eyes flashed open, those doe eyes of hers even bigger than usual. “With those you love by your side, you can defeat what’s coming for you.” She released our hands and shook her head, looking about ten times more exhausted than she had when she got here.
When I realized she wasn’t going to say more, I couldn’t help but ask, “Anything else?” I cringed. There was a better way to say that.
Alice’s gaze met mine. “I saw an older woman with a powerful presence. I sensed in her some of the same power I sense in you. I couldn’t tell if she was a negative or positive presence. Only a deep awareness that she was coming ever closer to you.”
“No idea who she could be or why she’s coming after me?” I gulped. "Or when?"
She shrugged. “I assume she’s coming for your power, but not why she decided to do so, nor who she is.” She looked at Henry. “I’m tired.”
He nodded, jumped up, then helped her stand.
“Thank you, Alice,” I told her, trying to hide my disappointment under tones of gratitude.
They moved away from us. The light in the hall turned on, then they disappeared toward Henry’s room. I sat there for a long minute trying to make sense of what happened.
“Well, that was…” Daniel’s handsome face wrinkled, as he tried to find a nice way to say disappointing.
“Anticlimactic,” I finished for him.
He looked a little embarrassed and ran his hand through the side of his hair. The area that had more gray than auburn running through it at his temple.
I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s okay. Maybe this was all silly anyway. Maybe Alice’s vision won’t even come to pass.”
He grinned. “There’s that positive thinking.” Leaning forward, he kissed me, sweet enough that I sighed when he pulled away. How I ever ended up marrying my cheating ex when Daniel had been on my radar, I’d never know, but I was grateful I had him now.
“Let’s blow out the candles and head to bed,” I said.
He nodded, then went around and doused the candles while I turned on a couple more lights and checked the locks. We finished at the same time, then headed for my bedroom. We'd gotten down a normal nighttime routine of face washing and teeth brushing. When we finished, we snuggled into bed together. I must have been more tired than I realized because sleep came easily, even after the freaky earthquake thing.
Except my dreams were strange, to say the least. I saw an older woman from behind. She stood outside the house I'd shared with my ex. The sound of my neighbor’s car coming up the road caught my attention. I looked down at myself and realized I was in my pajamas. Oh, okay. I was reliving the moment Karma gave me her powers. Yet, something was way off. The situation felt dark and scary. Twisted in a way I didn’t understand.
I was still trying to gather myself when the ground vibrated beneath my feet. The car was almost there. Any moment it would hit the older woman, hit Karma, and so I reacted without thinking, sprinting towards her. Before I could touch her, she turned. A gasp of horror caught in my throat.
