The Seer's Secret

Chapter 1

The first few chapters of this are still a little rocky. After that it gets better, I promise.

RACHEL- 6 YEARS BEFORE

Rachel loved to run.

Even now, as she ran out of necessity, she took comfort in the thrumming of her heart in her ears, the pounding of her orange sneakers on the ground.

Exhausted, she veered off the path and into a patch of bushes. She held her hand over her heart in an attempt to steady her breathing. The silence was eerie, and she heard her classmates' voices in her head again.

We know what happened to Becca was your fault. You're a witch.

Rachel buried her face in her hands as the tears came. She would have given anything to go back to recess the day before and fix what she'd done.

She hadn't mean to hurt Becca. But when the girl made fun of Rachel's clothes, friends, and family, it became too much. She'd only wanted to scare Becca by doing that wind-flicking technique she'd perfected the day before, but instead she'd knocked the girl out cold. Becca was the most popular girl in the fifth grade, and whoever she disliked became public enemy number one.

Becca's clique had followed Rachel home, and she'd only managed to escape thanks to her speed. But now she was lost in the woods, and the future wasn't looking too bright.

"Rachel?"

Rachel's head snapped up when she heard the voice, only to see the silhouette of a boy blocking the sun a few feet away.

"Who- who are you?" she stuttered, backing away in fear. "How do you know my name?"

"They told me you'd be afraid," he answered. He stepped forward a bit, out of the light. "They told me you know nothing about magic."

"What are you talking about? Who told you?"

"My name's Jacob," he said. "The Elders sent me. They think you might be like me."

"What are Elders?" Rachel's head spun with confusion and fear, and her fifth- grade-level stranger-danger training kicked in. "Please go away. I don't know you."

"Don't be scared, Rachel," he said. "Please. I have to bring you with me."

"If you don't go away, I'll... I'll scream. I can scream really loudly."

Jacob's piercing green eyes widened in alarm. "Please don't scream. I'm just like you. That's why I'm here. I can show you, but only if you promise not to scream."

"I- okay."

He pressed his fingertips to her forehead, and she jerked away in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"I have to be touching you for it to work. They say it's because I'm not very good yet."

Physical contact was mostly foreign to Rachel, but she decided right there that she didn't mind it too much. "Alright."

His fingers were cool and smooth. He closed his eyes, and suddenly, she heard a voice in her head.

Can you hear this?

She jerked away again. "What was that?"

He smiled. "That was me. See? We're the same."

She watched his face, searching for some motive or explanation to reveal itself. "I can't do that. But I can do this," she said. She held up a fist, her palm facing towards him. Just as she'd done to Becca yesterday, she quickly flicked her fingers out, opening the fist. Air shot out of her now open palm, blowing Jacob's hair back.

He laughed. "That's so cool!"

"Thanks," she said, blushing.

"I have to take you back with me," he said. "The Elders told me I have to."

All Rachel's hesitations about this stranger came flooding back. "I can't go anywhere with you. Miss Abbie will be worried if I'm not home for dinner."

"They told me they'd work things out with your foster mom," he replied. "Don't worry. They told me to tell you you're safe now."

And inside of Rachel, something gave way. Some part of her that was sick of being chased and made fun of and shuttled from foster home to foster home just snapped.

You're safe now. How long had she waited to hear those words?

She sighed. "Alright. How do we get there?"

He took her hand and said, "Like this."

• • •

The man in the robe was pretty shady, Rachel decided. She didn't particularly like the deers' heads mounted on the walls, or the weird orbs sparkling in glass cases that much either, but the old guy in a long purple robe really took the cake. He reminded her of Dumbledore. Or maybe Gandalf.

"Rachel Bayer," he said. "Member of the Third Order of Witches. Ten years old. Resident of Ontario, New York." He looked at her over his glasses. "Am I correct so far?"

"Um, yes. Yes, sir." Rachel didn't exactly know what Third Order meant, and she didn't particularly like being called a witch, but she figured if he knew where she lived and how old she was, he was probably right about the other stuff too. "Please sir, can I call my foster mom? She's expecting me home for dinner."

"Ah, yes, the woman. You won't call her. We have our best people on the situation now."

Rachel had no idea what that meant. "I've only been in that home for a few weeks now, and they're still watching me, and I can't get in trouble or I'll have to leave again and-"

The man's eyes lowered to meet hers, and she saw with surprise that they were full of compassion. "We will take care of it."

She didn't know what else to say. "Thank you, sir."

"This is Jacob. He will show you around camp." He turned away.

Jacob grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. "Come on, I want to show you the lake!"

"Woah. Woah," she said. "Explanation, please?"

He turned back to her, panting. "About what?"

"Everything! You! That guy!"

Jacob scratched his head. "Me? Jacob Further. Second Order of Telepaths, but Elder Conrad says I'm in good shape to be promoted to First if I keep practicing. I'm ten, too. I don't know where I'm from; I've been here as long as I can remember."

Rachel sighed. That explained nothing. "Alright," she said. "Show me the lake."