We walked into the hall, the white stream headed down the corridor and then left. Asani held onto me tight as we followed it. Her fear making her shake and mine making me silent, our breath could be heard for miles if need be. We came upon Doren and Chael as they stood at the end. They held their stance high and with a look that would greet death gladly. Everything was still. It reminded me of the Seer of Souls and if I would see them once more; it brought a comfort if we were. I searched for Nikoli but did not see him anywhere in the common room.
Asani stopped abruptly and pulled me back with a lurch. My face looking to her before looking in front of us to find the young Seer who was the daughter of the mother witch. And another girl in rags who had come from the steps of the dungeon. She must have just awakened, looking nothing over the day of ten, if not younger. Her rags of clothes hung on her shoulders as she looked to us in wonder but mostly frightened.
"What are your names?" I asked both of them. I saw the light streaming from their bodies and join ours before they turned to one and led even further down the castle.
"Anna." The older girl who had a witch for a mother. I looked to the younger one. Her small eyes were a bright blue and her body was screaming to be fed. I walked closer to her and kneeled down.
"Melina." She said.
"You came from the dungeon?" Asani asked, her voice full of wonder as I too was now beginning to see a bigger problem. Melina looked to Asani for a long while before her eyes landed on me and she nodded her head.
"Is your family there?" O'Siren had released all below the age of ten, though the rest of the beings still slept in the castle. I had not even had the chance to go back to see them. To see my mother.
"My brother. Our parents died last summer; the Knights had to bring me with him."
"Is he of magic?" I asked now wondering what she could be doing here...if she were truly a Seer.
"Yes." I looked to Asani, her face holding a grave look. She was a second child, but had not awakened. "What is happening?" Her voice trembled.
"You have not awakened yet." I pushed her hair from her face, but it was her eyes that stopped me. She already knew.
"My mother told me it could take years before I could See." Melina's eyes watered ever so slowly. "If I cannot See then why am I here?" Asani that answered her in a low voice.
"Because magic calls to each other." Anna looked to Melina in a wonder before she spoke next words.
"If she cannot See, then that means they do not know. The Kings." My eyes widened at her words, she had to be a mere twelve years, but she already knew the weight of our power.
"Does anyone call on your brother? Is he in debted too?"
"No. Many have tried but he does not. He protects me, he shields me. It puts him in danger," she said softly. "My mother told me to hide if he ever went missing. She told me to run." Asani gasped as she tried to calm herself.
Find them.
Anna jumped in fright and moved to hold onto to Asani as Melina made a slight scream in fear. It was a voice in our heads, though louder.
"It is okay Melina."
"I am scared."
"I know. But you have nothing to fear. Not now." Asani held onto Anna as we started to follow the light. It grew brighter and pulsed as we seemed to get closer. The castle was quiet, but the winds outside could still be heard loud and clear. It was not long before we found ourselves in the throne room. The long table in the middle was bright as the sun. We walked to it slowly before we saw the other Seers coming in from the other sides of the castle.
My eyes glanced over my sisters, both the known and unknown. My heart was beating faster than I thought possible as we slowly moved to the center of the room. The light bringing us closer and throbbing with each step. Melina had released her hold on me and made a full sprint for the table. She looked at us in wonder and excitement.
"Do you see it?" She yelled out to us. "It is right here!" My mother always said that kids could see anything. Even more than us Seers. The thought did not mean anything until this moment, until one saw how much she meant what she was saying. I looked to Asani as she was just as lost as I. "It is right there. Look!"
I hurried to where she stood, but my eyes saw nothing. The only strange thing I or any of us could see was the throbbing light that led to where we all now stood.
"She is young." My eyes connected with Loana as she stared at Melina and then connected her eyes with mine.
"We are all young." The girl who was marked with bruises along her face stated a fact. There wasn't a single Seer in this room that had seen twenty moons.
"Does anyone feel that?" The voice that spoke was a tall girl to the left of Asani. She was terribly thin with sullen eyes, but it did not take away from her beauty which was ethereal. "That humming." I tried to focus on what she was saying but I found myself staring at Melina. She was enchanted by whatever source only she could see. There were twelve of us standing there, waiting. I leaned down beside her turning her towards me.
"Melina what do you see?" She looked at me then in the center.
"Fire. It is fire." I looked to Asani in wonder. "I...I think we have to touch it. I can feel it. The humming." Melina looked at me with a new sense of determination. "It is trying to talk to us."
I stood up and looked at my sisters. Only knowing maybe half their names, but I knew they understood why we were here.
"Nasya?" I looked to Catalya as she spoke with questions. They all did. Again, I was at a loss as too how I had become a figure of power among them. I was just as lost as them. It was then I felt the humming. It was like a purr, gentle but firm. It settled in my womb though, I felt it moving throughout my body and to my hands. I stared at them, the humming, the beating growing until I could once again see my power bright and flowing in my veins.
"Fire." I looked to Melina again as she was still transfixed by it. "We have to see into the fire." I whispered, staring at the flow of my power. I looked to them all. "This is it. True Sight." My heart ran at the speed of light as I watched Loana be the first one to slowly lift her shaky hand and hold it in the center of Melina's attention. The second her hand got there-it was as bright as the sun. The energy pulsed as a beating heart. Loana looked at me.
"I can feel it. It is trying to talk to us." With her words, Anna was next to put her hand in and just like that all my sisters had their hands in except Melina and I. Melina who looked up at me, waiting for me. I crouched down to her.
"Whatever you see, whatever you hear. It is our secret."
"Our secret." I knew she was really listening to my words as her body mirrored mine, like she had done this many times with her mother.
"You cannot tell anyone, not even your brother Melina." Her eyes faltered just a little. "He is protecting you and now it is your turn to protect him. He cannot know about this Melina." I grabbed hold of her face gently. "Promise me." She looked sad, defeated and it tore at my heart that we were so young to hold such a burden. But if I was right, her brother's magic must be able to shield her scent of Seer. It was the only way that another witch has not found her yet, awakened or not.
"I promise." She whispered to me. With an uneven breath I stood and we walked to the table. Her small hand went in first and I slowly joined my hand in and experienced a rush of color through my eyes. Asani gasped beside me seeing the same, it was beautiful. The colors flowing and forming before it stilled as a burning fire.
Seers.
My eyes widened at the voice. We could not see anything other than the fire. The fire that pulsed as the unfamiliar, unknown voice spoke in our heads. It took up oxygen, thought and all reason. I jumped as I felt Melina grab my hand below me. I gently squeezed her and held her strong as the voice spoke again.
It has been centuries since I have come to share the same room as my children.
"Aleena." I gasped.
Yes. It is I. My daughters are everything I could have imagined. My legacy.
Her words sounded nothing like a woman, but they held a motherly touch, almost warm.
But the time has come to make a stand. This Sight was only created for when you all were ready. As of tonight, Time has run its course. Past, present, and future are merging in this World. Lifelines are being tainted. The younger beings that were discovered, they are your lifeline. They must be protected. Their World must be protected.
"I do not understand." A Seer spoke out right in front of me.
Zamora and Zarina are here to protect the portal to a different World. A World that does not know the existence of magic.
"But how can that be?" Another Seer. She mirrored my own thoughts as the Souls had already told me that she disappeared into the new World. The tales say she disappeared, almost as if she died long ago. But she did not die-she found a new home.
A choice must be made. The chains of man and the chains themselves are your decisions to make. Either you live this life of servitude until we die out. Or. You give the next generation a fighting chance.
"How?" Asani asked?
Slaughter. Slaughter them all.
With that the fire left our Sight and the warmth of our bodies. We all gasped as we fell back to the floor. Some Seers were more than sensitive to the Sight as they gripped in pain and uncertainty.
"What-what did she mean?"
"Slaughter." I whispered too only myself.
"The Sight was supposed to tell us what to do! But that was more questions than one!" Loana lashed out in anger. I looked around to see my Sisters confused and angry. Some even scared, like Anna who stood frozen, staring at the now cold table. "We are not capable of slaughter. And slaughter what? Our Kings!"
"Is she alive?" A Seer, one who looked older than us all, asked the room.
"Aleena is part of the new World."
"The tales say she died."
"The tales say she disappeared. They never say she is dead." My voice found itself as I looked at them.
"But magic does not exist in that World."
"Then, how does she?"
"Hiding." We all looked to Anna whose small voice rang true. "She is in hiding."
"Slaughter." I looked to the voice of Catalya. "She was not speaking of Kings. She was speaking of us."
"That cannot be!"
"Why us!"
"Once again man wins."
"If magic does not exist in the new World then it stops existing in this one. We stopped existing." I said out loud, trying to wrap my head around it.
"What are you saying?"
"Slaughter them all." Another Seer looked at me with understanding.
"She meant us." Melina spoke beside me with tone I could not place.
"No, that is not what she meant." I saw the room divide. The Seers that were still trying to understand, trying to make sense of the message. And the ones who had already accepted what was coming to pass.
"We are slaves in this World only to hide in another. What is the point of our magic?"
"We are not meant to die. We hold power, we are beings."
"Who would be our undoing? The Kings?" They were frightened.
"Nasya" My head turned to Asani who had a look in her eye. One I could not understand. "She carries the ancient power."
"Aadun." Catalya said in our tongue, it was the first time I had heard the correct name for the Spirit I harbored within me.
"So what? You would kill us? Your sisters?" Loana was screaming at this point.
"What about Anna? The young?"
"Is that why you were chosen? To kill us. Is that why you brought us here?"
So many of them were confused. Trying to understand, wanting answers that I could not give them. Looking around the room I saw the ones that were quiet. The ones who had nothing to say. My Sisters who would do anything to be out of these chains.
Slaughter. Slaughter them all.
"I-" My words were cut off as we were reeled back into our bodies. I opened my eyes to the ceiling, and I gasped, groaning at the violent way we entered back on the natural plane. The cold floor had my body turn over and look up to see Aryk running to me and lowering himself to the ground beside me.
"Nasya! Nasya are you, all right? What did you see?" I was still catching my breath when I turned to see Mitus caring for Asani. Her eyes finding mine. A fire lit behind them that made me uneasy.
"They are coming."
My body was shaking with fear as I could hear the footsteps coming towards us. I gripped ahold of Aryk as he pulled me up.
"We have to get them out of here. The Kings-"
Asani stopped Aryk mid-way. "No. No, we need to come up with something, something to calm them."
"What did you See?" Mitus asked her.
"Not now." I looked to him. My breath was still at a lost when O'Siren busted through the doors with two fellow Kings following.
"Ahh Nasya...and Aryk. Why am I not surprised?" If Aryk could have killed with a look, the King would not be standing in front of us. His eyes were burning with rage as he managed to shield my body from him all the while holding me up. I clung to him like he was air as I stared at my King. My gifted King.
"They are not well Your Grace." Aryk said with a hard tone, I could see him biting his words.
"Someone better tell me what in the World is going on!" O'Siren was trying his hardest to keep his mind straight. But his resolve was shattering. "The Seers in this castle are being affected by your actions Nasya. This is something you have caused. What did you see and you will tell me now!"
"I-I" I couldn't make a word. My heart was ready to burst out of my chest, my womb starting to burn with a slow fire. Aryk sensed my body wanting to curl into itself and wrapped his arm around me tighter.
"Nasya!"
"She saw you. She saw you at the portal." My eyes widen at Asani's words. "It was a strong vision Your Grace. Please. No Seer has seen that far into the future before. We all felt it. Please. She just needs some rest." A lie. Her lie came out easily and with no restraint. Troy O'Siren looked almost in glee at her words.
"So, I will make it to the portal." His eyes sharp on me. It took all my will to nod towards him. My feet wanting to curl under me. I truly did not know how Aryk was holding me as he did.
"Please Your Grace." Asani begged out. Mitus looked between them with a tense stare. It was all I heard before my body gave up on me and I fully fainted in Aryk's arms.