The Raven Saga Box Set

Chapter 53

"Excuse me... here's a cup of sweet tea. It usually helps you feel better after a faint," said Meredith as she approached with a steaming cup in her hands.

As everybody began to disperse, Tabitha sat down on the sofa beside December, "that was pretty cool. I've never seen a witches circle before. Are you okay?" she asked the pretty young girl with the enormous blue eyes.

December nodded and smiled, "I'm guessing you're Tabitha?" she asked.

"How did you know?"

Pointing to Tabitha's spiky hair, "the hair... Lilly told me about it!" she chuckled.

"I guess there aren't many teenagers around with short spiky grey hair are there?" she laughed, "It's from my mother's side of the family. Rose is my grandmother, and she went grey very young too," she said as they looked across the room to the elegant feline-like lady chatting to Gabriel. December took notice of the similarities between the two.

"So, are you a changeling as well?"

Nodding her head, Tabitha explained that, although she'd been having the strange dreams for quite a while, she'd only recently made the transformation.

"It was pretty painful, though, but apparently the pain will completely disappear... eventually. Until that happens though, I've been dreading it. Once I get over that hurdle, it'll be pretty exciting, I guess!"

"Exciting? The idea of changing into a wild beast would scare the heebie-jeebies out of me!"

Tabitha laughed, "The heebie-jeebies?... Where on earth are you from?!" she joked, "I've always been a bit of a daredevil... so it's only natural for me to be excited about it. Plus, Zoltan, he's my boyfriend, is a werewolf and it'll be fun to go out running together."

"Won't you want to attack one other?"

"No more than we do already," Tabitha chuckled.

"Aren't you scared, Tabitha?"

"Of what?"

"Of everybody getting hurt in Tofino?" she asked as she looked down to the floor and fiddled with the cup in her hands.

"Honestly? I'm terrified. But if I think about it too much, I'll be in a corner somewhere crying my eyes out."

"Me too," said December as she noticed Sammy walk into the living room looking for someone. When he saw the two girls sitting down on the sofa, he walked towards them and asked if they wanted to get some fresh air.

Needing to get outside after her fainting episode, December nodded as the two girls stood and followed him through the kitchen and out through the back door. Still feeling a little wobbly, December sat on the wall, her legs dangling beneath her. Looking around, she noticed the house was almost surrounded by dark forest.

It was late afternoon, and the sun was still shining in between a few fluffy clouds that hung high in the blue sky.

"It's so beautiful here. I can see why Lilly is so fond of it," December sighed, "it's certainly different from where she grew up... I hope she's okay," she added as she looked back at her new friends.

"I'm not waiting around to find out. I'm going to fly to Tofino," Sammy said quietly when he was sure they were out of earshot of everybody in the house, and the witches in their RVs.

"What?" Shrieked Tabitha.

"Sshhh... I don't want anyone to know; otherwise, they'll try and stop me. I can't just sit back and do nothing."

"But, you'll be seen," whispered December.

"I'll wait until it starts getting dark and then I'm going."

They were all silent for a few moments as they thought about what might happen before Tabitha said, "I would do the same if I were you, Sammy. If only I could fly... will you take me with you? Please, Sammy? I can't just sit here and do nothing either. Not with Lilly and Zoltan out there. Please, Sammy, take me too."

With a sigh, Sammy nodded, "okay, but it's going to be dangerous. It's a long way to go."

"Danger's practically my middle name, Sammy!" she exclaimed as she jumped up and down and tried hard not to sound too excited while December looked on sadly.

"I wish I could come too."

"I'm sorry, December, but I can only take one. Plus, your mother and that grandmother of yours would probably kill me if I took you," he said with a smile.

December knew he was right and nodded, "just be careful, okay?"

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

A few hours had passed since Sammy had dropped his bombshell that he was going to try and help Lilly. December had watched him and Tabitha sneak off into the forest behind the house, fully aware that they were going to wait for the onset of darkness, which was almost upon them, before flying off towards Tofino.

December's heart ached for her best friend, and she desperately wished she could do something to help. Above all, though, she wanted to be with her, but there just hadn't been room on the plane. Not that her mother would have been too keen on that idea.

Wanting to be on her own, December had asked Gabriel if she could lie down. He'd shown her into Lilly's room where she sat on the bed for a while, taking in everything that had happened that day.

Just as she sat on the soft, comfy bed, there was a tap on the door, and Moira pushed it open and leaned in.

"You okay, honey?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine Mom. Just a lot to take in, that's all, and I'm worried about Lilly."

Moira pushed the door open further and walked in. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled her daughter into her arms and stroked the back of her head.

"I know, sweetie, I know. All these witches here and we can't get even get there unless we drive, which will take ages. But we're all discussing it now, okay? We'll come up with something to help. We won't let anything happen to her. She seems like a lovely girl. I can understand why the two of you clicked back in London."

"It's kind of weird though, isn't it?" asked December.

"What's weird, sweetie?"

"I'm a witch, and Lilly is a changeling, and yet we met in the middle of London and became friends. I mean, what are the odds?" she smiled as she lifted her head up from her mother's embrace and looked into her eyes.

Smiling, Moira squeezed her hand, "It's not really weird, no, honey. Have you never heard the expression 'like attracts like'? Magic often attracts the magical, evil attracts evil, and so on. You two were drawn together for a reason," she winked as she patted her hand and stood up.

"I'd better get back to the others. Don't worry. You just get some rest, okay?"

December nodded as Moira walked out and gently closed the door behind her.

As she laid back and put her head on the pillow, December got that same sensation again. It was the very same feeling she'd first had in Battersea Park and again in her vision. But the difference this time was that she wasn't afraid.

"Hello?" she whispered. "Is there somebody there?"

She sensed the person move to her side.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

But there was nothing. Just silence.

Sighing, December shifted on the bed so that she was sitting upright again.

'Help her.'

The two words just popped into her head, as if someone had physically placed them there.

December shook her head, unsure what had just happened.

'Help her.'

There they were again. Someone was putting words into her head.

"But how? How can I help her?" she whispered.

'You have to want it, December. You have to really want it.'

December gasped when those last few words popped into her head. She'd heard them before. They were the exact words she'd heard in Battersea Park. Whoever was communicating with her had been with her in England.

Standing up abruptly, December knew whoever it was, was right. Perhaps if she wished it enough, and wanted it enough, she could somehow get to Tofino. But how?

You have to want it, you have to really want it. Those were the words she needed to remember.

Think, December, think about what you really want, she thought.

"I wish I were in Tofino," she said out loud. When nothing happened, she closed her eyes and thought long and hard about her vision. "I need to be in Tofino. I want to be in Tofino. I wish I were in Tofino," she whispered to herself over and over until she felt a massive wave of nausea overcome her and she sank slowly to the soft carpeted floor by the side of the bed.

#

When she came to, there was a distinctive scent in the air, and a gentle breeze caressed her face. December could smell the ocean. It wasn't a smell she'd recognised from Powell River, so before she opened her eyes, she knew she was no longer with her family in Lilly's house.

"It worked," she said to herself in a daze as she lifted herself up from the ground and looked around. Gasping, December knew exactly where she was. She had managed to propel herself all the way to Tofino, to the exact beach where Oliver would be (or was) attacked. She recognised it from her vision.

Looking down at the sand, she searched for signs that the attack had already taken place. She looked for those little droplets of blood that had spattered when Duran had plunged his fangs into the blond-haired boy's neck. But there was nothing. December was hopeful that she had made it in time to warn him.

Wandering along the beach looking for any sign of him, December could see nobody around. Nothing but the long stretch of smooth sand, piles of driftwood and the odd collection of dark green seaweed covered in golden sand. December took a deep breath, breathing in those fresh ocean scents and listened as the waves pounded the shore in the distance. She shivered.

There were a few houses scattered around the edge of the beach, but all appeared to be empty. There were no lights switched on, no sounds coming from any of them. It was eerily silent except for the crashing of the waves. As she neared the water, it was then that she noticed a lone person in the water. A surfer.

She recalled that Meredith had said he was surfing in Tofino. It must be him, she thought. That must be Oliver. Searching the beach for his belongings, December wandered back and forth until she came upon a small backpack. She sat down next to it and waited a moment, thinking of what she could do.

In the vision, Oliver was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. His hair was dry, and he wasn't carrying a surfboard. She realised she had time. He must have gone somewhere to change before he came back to the beach.

As she watched the boy catching the waves as he successfully glided along them in peace, she realised she had no idea what she was going to say to him. How on earth was she going to explain that a vampire was going to attack him? She would surely sound insane?

Think, December, think.

Before she knew it, the boy had ridden his final wave, had surfed all the way to the shore and was walking towards her, shaking his wet hair. She stood up and smiled as he neared.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," he replied, looking a little quizzical at her as he took a towel out of his bag and began drying his hair with it.

"Erm..." December felt stupid. She had absolutely no idea how to approach the matter, and she had no idea how long it would take Lilly and co to arrive.

Oliver looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to say something. When she didn't, he picked up his bag, his surfboard and said, "see ya" before turning and walking away.

"Wait!" she yelled as she jumped up. "Don't go!"

His expression was one of confusion.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" he asked with a lopsided smile.

Shaking her head, December tried to smile, "No, but you know my best friend... Lilly."

Immediately his expression softened and then he looked angry.

"I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. I don't know anybody called Lilly."