Remember Me

Chapter 11: The Reincarnation is Revealed

Third person POV

“The spell is almost finished.” A witch murmured, standing over a bowl of black water. “ Our Dark Prince, will be pleased.”

“You’re sure this spell will uncover the real Aradia?” A man with dirty blonde hair standing next to her asked.

The witch nodded. “We will find out who she is. Her inner-self will show for only a few moments. Are our spies in place?”

The man nodded. “One person has been assigned to be near each girl at the allotted time. When she is revealed, they will convey it to us.”

The witch took out four vials from a black case. Each vial held a strand of hair. The vial with red copper hair was labelled Hannah and a vial with curly black hair was labelled Abigail.

“It is almost time.” The witch stated, opening the vials and dropping the hair into the black bowl of water.

Meanwhile, at the Sinai Institute on Halloween...

“Here.” Joseph said, handing Hannah a packaged box. Opening it, Hannah breathed out her surprise, her voice dying in her throat. It was a necklace of pure silver with a square diamond pendant as big as a quarter.

“I-I can’t accept this Joseph.” Hannah finally got out. “This looks too expensive.”

“Not expensive for me, peasant.” Joseph teased, forcefully taking the pendant from her hands and putting the necklace over her head. If she could see him, she would see his hands shaking slightly as he moved her hair aside from the back of her neck. His hands tickled the back off her neck. 

“Hannah-“ he began clasping the necklace around her neck. “—this isn’t just any pendant. It will signal for me to come get you wherever you are.” He laughed when Hannah 'hmphed'.

“I don’t need a savior.” She mumbled.

Joseph chuckled. "Until you get better in combat magic, I beg to differ."

“I’ve gotten better.” She argued. “I’ve been training with Rafe’ and you’ve been teaching me how to concentrate my magic—“

“And I’d still feel better knowing you have this so if you ever need my help, I know.”

Hannah smiled as Joseph’s fingers lingered around her neck. Turning to face him, she didn't know what a fetching picture she made while standing under the moonlit sky. Her eyes glittered with happiness and there was a faint blush lingering along her cheeks. She didn't even notice the way Joseph's breath caught in his throat. Nor did she know that an undefinable lump of emotion in his throat was making it difficult for him to speak further.

“I have something for you too.” Hannah spoke sheepishly. The moment passed and Joseph smiled.

“For me? It’s not my birthday.” He joked.

She looked at him embarrassed as she got out a small box. Inside the box was a letter Hannah had written him. She then watched as Joseph opened the box to see his silver watch.

He looked at her confused.

“I found it that first day we served detention together." She smiled at him. He raised an eyebrow in understanding. She had never meant to return it to him the day she had found it otherwise she would have returned it the next day. “I considered keeping it and pwning it off.” She confessed.

Joseph let out a bark of laughter, his arms coming to engulf her in a hug. Only Hannah would gift him something that already belonged to him. Smirking, she pulled back slightly to steal a quick kiss on the lips. He gave her a pointed look, clearly telling her to back off. Hannah was having none of it.

“If anyone ever found out you were trying to seduce me and I was refusing you, they’d make a laughing stock of me.” Joseph commented, not releasing his hold around her.

“I’m not trying to seduce you.” Hannah argued, enjoying the feel of his arms. His hands were tracing lazy circles on her lower back. Hers were clasped around his neck, rubbing the sensitive skin at the nape of his neck. “I’m just telling you, we belong together.”

“In another life, in another time and place maybe we could be together Hannah.” Joseph acquiesced. His fingers sensually slipping under her shirt to trace circles on her bare skin. Her skin felt delicious against the pads of his fingers and Hannah was thoroughly enjoying how his actions were directly contradicting his words. “But right now is not the right time. We need to accept that.” His fingers stilled in conviction. 

Hannah looked at him under the starlit sky, wondering what she could do or say to convince him otherwise. The heat in the pit of her stomach increased. Her cheeks reddened from the rising desire in her. She was starting to feel a bit too hot but ignored it. Hannah  breathed in his scent, enjoying the feel of his arms around her as they stared at each other. She could almost pretend they were actually a couple and he was going to kiss her. For now, she simply looked at him, drinking in the sight of his handsome angular face and sharp nose. His piercing eyes bored into her, trying to make her understand his predicament and all of a sudden a splitting headache overtook her. Furrowing her eyes she looked at him and saw a dark red aura around him. All at once, it was like a cacophony of noise and color erupted around her. She could see a medley of colors on Joseph’s black sweater she’d never seen before...she could even see the threads so intricately woven by bleeding hands in a sweat shop far away from here. Her head felt like someone was beating on it with an axe.

Joseph stepped back surprised and startled as Hannah doubled over in intense pain. She felt something trickle down her legs. Blood. So much blood and she wasn’t even supposed to get her period yet. What was going on? So much blood and pain, she was in so much pain. Why was it so loud? It felt like a circus around her. She could hear every cricket, every movement of every bug in the grass. She screamed again because it felt like her head was going to split in half. She could not see it, but a white light began to glow around her, emitted from within her very being.

She suddenly felt Joseph picking her up bridal style. He was cursing as he rushed her into the greenhouse they were standing outside of. Her cries of pain seemed to drown out whatever profanities were being spewed from his mouth.

“It hurts!!” She sobbed as he settled her on the floor next to him. She leaned into his arms, clutching herself. The white dull light enveloping her glowed brighter and her pupils rolled into the back of her head. All you could see were the whites of her eyes as an ethereal voice spoke from her mouth. The voice was not Hannah’s.

“It’s not time, Joseph Danielles.” Hannah seemed to be staring at him. Speaking to him. But it wasn’t Hannah. Every fiber inside Joseph began to quiver in fear. What had he done? “You will protect her. You are one of two. “ She c****d her head to the side as she saw Joseph lean away from her and begin to back away. “You fear this weak vessel of mine Joseph Danielles?” she gave a dangerous inhumane grin. “Give us time, soon we will be strong. For now…I must mark you.” A white light shot out of her hand, branding Joseph with an intense burning pain. He screamed in agony as the white light seared into his left side. “You are our destiny.” The voice said before all a sudden, the light disappeared from around Hannah. Her eyes rolled forward and she fell in a heap on the dirty floor. A figure rushed inside the greenhouse going towards the unconscious redhead. Joseph writhed in pain before sitting up and retching. The contents of his stomach thoroughly emptied, he cautiously extended a hand towards Hannah. Rafe’ was kneeling beside her, checking her pulse.

“I-I thought it was Abigail.” He said shakily, finally able to speak. Rafe’ looked at him sharply. “We were supposed to get a lock of hair from each girl. The spell was to reveal the reincarnation tonight. What have I done? Hannah, I didn’t know. I didn’t know!” His voice shook as he tried to hold her.

“Get away from her!” snarled Rafe’ in his alpha voice. “I thought maybe you were truly her friend! You- it could only be you! You were assigned to spy on her! You’re the only one that could have given her hair to the dark witches in the League!”

Joseph moved away rubbing his eyes. “Rafe’, I thought it was Abigail. She has the purest blood amongst the girls. If I had even thought for a second—“

“You didn’t think though did you?” sneered Rafe’. “Always following whatever Daddy says even if means you’ll kill us all, including her!” he motioned towards Hannah.Her skin seemed paler than normal, the color from her cheeks was gone. Stains of drying blood at her midsection made Joseph wince. Guilt ate away at his heart.

“I would never let anyone harm Hannah!” Joseph stated firmly. “I won’t tell. I won’t tell anyone Rafe’. We have to get her to the infirmary. She needs to be checked up. Her body wasn’t ready for the surge of power. She's bleeding!”

Rafe’ picked up the unconscious Hannah. He kept his eyes on Joseph as they began to walk towards the Nurse.

**** 

Hannah woke up awhile later to see Rafe’ on one side of the bed with Joseph on the other. What was going on?

“Wha-what happened to me?” Hannah croaked. She remembered losing control of her body. Someone else took over. Someone spoke but that someone wasn’t her…was it? They had called her a vessel…a vessel for what?

“What’s going on?” she exclaimed, sitting up in bed. 

Joseph let out a sigh, grabbing one of Hannah’s hands in his. He looked at Rafe’. For now, it seemed that the boys had called a truce over Hannah's welfare. Rafe’ had known he would have to brief Hannah. His gut had been telling him she was the one.

“Do you know that Aradia is said to have split herself in two to be reborn amongst us?” Rafe’ asked carefully.

Hannah’s brows furrowed. “Everyone knows the prophecy Rafe’. That she will be reborn to help wizards and witches in a time of dire need.”

“About 17 years ago, our principal was visited by the deity. She told him she was going to be reborn. The child would be his responsibility when she came to attend school here because here is where she would be in the most danger from those who wished to destroy her. Namely, the Dark Wizard and his League.” Rafe’ motioned towards Joseph angrily.

 “The headmaster traced down four girls born that night and has been keeping an eye on them. He assigned a junior council member to look after each girl because he got wind of the fact that the League was planning something.” Rafe’ explained.

It clicked in Hannah’s mind. “So you were assigned to me?” she looked at Rafe’ accusingly. “Is that why you’ve been following me, trailing me…asking me to train with you boys?”

Rafe’ nodded in silent agreement. “But Hannah, you know they didn’t want me to be your guard. They wanted someone else. I ASKED to take care of you. It wasn’t just duty. I—I do care about you.” He rushed on to say. “Anyway despite all of our precautions, the League has spies of its own. They plotted a spell which would make Aradia reveal herself tonight. One League member was assigned to trail each girl. We don’t know how they got the list of potential girls Hannah. There is definitely a spy amongst us. The League was supposed to get close enough to their assigned girl to be able to get a lock of her hair for the spell for the big reveal.” Rafe’ motioned to Joseph.

Hannah suddenly felt as if her world was falling around her.

“No…” she whispered staring at Joseph aghast. She tried to pull her hand away from Joseph’s grip. He tightened his hold so she couldn’t let go. “They were right...” Hannah sobbed. “.. you didn’t want to be my friend! You had no interest in me! You were assigned to get close to me!” She railed, exerting what was left of her energy to try and pull her hand away from his.

Joseph kept his grip tight on her hand.

“It started out that way.” Joseph admitted. “I purposefully bumped into you at the bonfire. I purposefully got myself detention to spend time with you….but when I saw…” he gulped before proceeding. “…I saw that vampire Vigo groping you…that I did to help you Red. After that, I was in it for the long haul.” He gave a hard swallow. “I was there because I wanted to be.” He spoke in a gruff voice full of emotion. “I put an audio recording device in your phone. It recorded all of your conversations and transmitted them to a memory chip in my possession.” Hannah glared at him, tears gathering in her eyes. The whole time he had been stringing her along and she had been falling into his arms like an i***t. No wonder he told her to stop crushing on him, he was just doing his job!

Joseph gave her hand a squeeze and swallowed audibly again. “I destroyed the chip Hannah.” His other hand came to stroke her cheek with his thumb. “I destroyed the recording device too one day while you were training. I couldn’t do that to you. I cared about you too much to take advantage of your trust.”

Hannah cried afraid to believe him. Afraid to absorb what all of this meant. Was she a reincarnation of a deity? This was all too much for her.

Rafe glanced at Joseph over Hannah’s head.

"He can never ever find out who Hannah really is."  His steely gaze on Joseph.

Joseph's bitter smile reflected the resolve building inside of him as he smoothed away flyaway hairs from Hannah's head. Taking a ragged breath, he cupped her face in his hands with a gentleness Hannah hadn't even known he could possess.

"He can't." Joseph agreed, his eyes never leaving Hannah's dark green gaze.

"N-No." Hannah breathed out, blinking back tears. "Rafe' , don't you dare-don't you dare harm him." Her hands went up to grasp Joseph's hands still cupping her face. "Joe, please... please come with us. Let us hide you." she begs. “Leave the League.”

"He will find me, Hannah! You don't think he'll figure out why I disappeared suddenly? There is still so much you don’t know. People follow me as their leader within the League. I can’t abandon them. Everyone would know it was because of you! I was assigned to either kill you or turn you over to our cause, whichever comes first! The League is already suspicious that one of us is lying, it's just not possible that none of the assigned members were unable to unearth Aradia's reincarnate. My phone’s ringing off the hook because I haven’t called to debrief them about my mission. I only called to tell them that you aren’t the one.  If I disappear, he will come for us, he will find us, and he will destroy all of us." his voice softens as he nears her, his forehead touching hers as he closes his eyes and revels in her touch. "He will kill you." his voice breaks. Because if there was one thing Joseph knew with clarity now was that Hannah was too strong willed to succumb to the League. She was too good and too pure to ever be turned to their side.

Hannah begins to sob uncontrollably. "I don't remember who I am, who I am supposed to be, or what I am supposed to do but this, this isn't right. What good am I if I can't even protect the people I love?!"

Joseph's breath hitches as he realizes the import of her words. Pulling her into his arms again, he whisperes, "I love you too, Red. I love you too damn much.” 

He breathes her scent in heavily before continuing with resolve, “Which is why I can't let anything happen to you."  He looks at Rafe' whose dark hair is falling in his eyes as he looks everywhere but at the girl he adores proclaiming her love for another. "Take care of her. If anything ever happens to her, I will find you and I will kill you. This is my promise."

Rafe' glances up at his rival with a humorless smile. "How can you find me, if you don't even remember your promise?"

Hannah stills in his arms as she realizes what Joseph is about to do. "NO!" She clamps her arms harder around him so he can't lift his arms. "NO! I won't let you wipe your memory!"

"I wasn't going to." Joseph says gently. Hannah lets out a sigh of relief but tenses at his next words. "You're going to do it."

Hannah begins to shake her head vigorously. “I won’t, I can’t! You know I’m not even good at magic.”

“You can Red. I’ve been teaching you everything you need to know to perform the spell effectively. You have to, Red.” Joey murmurs holding her tighter in his grip. His chin rubs against the top of her head, enjoying the sensation of finally allowing himself to hold her as he’s always wanted. “You have to and-and-“ his voice cracks a little. “When you come into your powers, when you know it’s the right time, you make me remember again. You make me remember so we can be together, finally. I-I never questioned our Prince or the League. I’ve always been a good soldier, following orders until you. You changed me, Red. If you don’t wipe my memories, the Dark Prince will sense the change. He’s too powerful, too intuitive.” Joey finally pulls back from Hannah. “Do it. Do it and leave. The nurse checked your vitals. She says you need rest and that you seem exhausted.”

Hannah shakes her head, gripping herself helplessly. “I don’t want too.” She whispered morosely.

“If you don’t do it, I will kill him.” Rafe’ growls. “Hannah, you’re our priority. We can’t defeat the League without you. If that means Joseph ends up as collateral damage, so be it. I can’t lose sight of our goal.”

Joseph doesn’t argue and Hannah wipes away the tears on her cheeks realizing that this young man would gladly allow Rafe’ to kill him if it meant protecting her.

“Red, I’ve taught you well, bring me back soon.” Joseph murmurs as white energy shoots from a sobbing Hannah’s hands. Joseph sits back in his chair as if in a daze.

“Forget.” Hannah murmurs through her tears. “Forget our friendship, forget what you saw tonight. Forget everything. All you will remember is that you trailed me and nothing of import happened.” When she finished. She grabbed Rafe. He helped her leave the infirmary because she couldn’t walk on her own. Her body felt as if it had been run over. The Nurse had clucked at her wanting to leave so soon but as the only thing she could find wrong with Hannah was that she had seemed exhausted and had seemingly gotten her period early, she was helpless to stop Hannah from leaving. 

Awhile later, Joseph came too wondering why he was sitting in the infirmary so late at night.

Hannah spent the entire night crying in Rafe’s arms, begging him to keep all of this a secret from her brother and Abigail.