The Forsaken (Book Three in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Are You With Me?

“Sure.”

She went back upstairs and we all sort of just stood there. My mother came back down ten minutes later.

“Sorry. I called Kati and she’s expecting you. Here’s the rope.”

She handed Michael a coiled rope. He grabbed the end and dropped the rest on the floor. “Alright. Here’s the drill. We go in a straight line. I’ll lead. Then Georgiana, then Sebastis, then Luke. No one deviates off course.”

He came to me first. “Arms up.”

I smiled and lifted my arms. He ran the rope through my belt loops and then did the same to my brother. He handed the end to Luke and he did the same but knotted the rope so it couldn’t come free. Michael stood in front of me and did the same thing.

“Let’s try to make this…easy. Ok?” he said looking directly at me.

“Talk to him,” I pointed at Sebastis.

Michael smiled and took a walkie-talkie from my mother. “We’ll be on channel three.”

My mother smiled and gave everyone a peck on the cheek.

“Have fun!” she called as we headed out the door.

The wind was brutal at first. I got used to it after about five minutes. I could hear my brother keeping up a conversation with Luke. I reached out and took Michael’s hand and he turned back and gave me a smile. It wasn’t hard walking through the snow.

Having fun? Michael asked.

I haven’t thrown any snowballs yet.

I could see him smile again even though he was back to facing forward. I’m sure when we get to Hekati’s she’ll let you throw as many snowballs as you want.

How much further?

It’s about the length of two football fields.

Since she was the Head Mistress she got her own little house. It wasn’t extravagant or huge. It was like a two story cottage. It was set apart from the rest of the buildings but not too far. The top story was where she lived and the bottom she used for guests and office space. I remember helping her move in when I was a little girl. The first time I saw it I had thought it was something out of a fairy tale because it was set into the tree line and it seemed to glow.

“We’re almost there,” Michael called back.

“How much longer? I think my fingers are going to freeze off,” Sebastis said.

“About ten minutes.”

The ten minutes came and he was right. I could just see Hekati’s house through the snowfall. When she saw us coming she came out on the porch and waved.

“Hey guys!” she called.

We stomped onto her porch and she ushered us inside after making us take off our boots. Her house was just as I remembered it.

“I was starting to get worried,” she said.

“We had the snow dog here to guide the way,” my brother said, slapping Michael on the back before sitting down on our Godmother’s couch.

I smacked him upside the head and then sat down next to him.

“I think I’m beginning to feel my toes,” I said.

Luke laughed. “You’re the one who wanted to come.”

“It was fun,” I said giving him a smile.