Nahuel shrugged. “Maybe.” He didn’t sound so sure.
I decided to focus on the spirit séance and ignore this new revelation, so I turned and led him into the barn without another word.
Sitting in a meditative pose, I took a deep breath and stared at Nahuel sitting across from me. We were in a circle surrounded by the witches. My eyes were half-lidded as I deeply breathed in and out. The witches chanted around me and mist leaked from the walls and saturated all of us.
“Gloria Sinclair! We call thee from beyond,” Sylvia shouted as the temperature in the barn dropped and mist crawled along the floor and up the walls.
Nahuel looked behind my left shoulder. “Her spirit his heavy,” he said calmly.
Shit, how often was Nahuel chatting with dead people? This didn’t look like his first rodeo. I tried not to freak out but having someone look over your shoulder at a ‘heavy’ spirit was a frightening feeling.
I slowly turned to see a wispy, white ghost glide towards me. Her hair was long and flowing, her face looked haunted. “How could she!” she screamed at me and whooshed in front of my face, bringing the freezing cold with her and sending goose bumps up my arms. My breath caught in my throat.
Nahuel clapped hard and Gloria jerked back, looking at him. “Don’t touch her,” Nahuel told the spirit.
Gloria sobbed. “I can’t believe she killed me. My own student!”
I looked at Sylvia and the other witches, but it didn’t seem like they could see her. Just me, Nahuel, and one other witch, Bonnie, a seer. Bonnie met my eyes and nodded. Here goes nothing.
“Prudence?” I asked Gloria.
Gloria’s face suddenly looked angry. “Yes! That traitor. She betrayed me. I can’t cross into the light while she still lives!” she screamed and ice cold air blasted me again.
I swallowed and tried to rein in my fear. “I can help you with that. If you can tell me her full magical name, I will make sure she no longer lives and you can cross over. You named her. What was it?” I asked Gloria as she stared off at all of the witches.
Her head suddenly snapped in my direction. “Hey, I know you. I’ve seen you before. You’re going to be over here soon, too. Can you stay with me? Then I won’t be alone.”
Dread churned in my stomach. What the eff was she talking about? I looked at Nahuel.
“What?” I asked her.
She smiled. “It’s okay, dear, we can keep each other company.” She floated closer to me.
“No!” I shouted and stood.
The witches began chanting protection around me as Nahuel slowly rose from his sitting position.
Gloria glared at me. “Don’t yell at me!” she told me with malice.
Nahuel clapped again and thunder cracked outside. The barn walls shook.
“Tell her the full name of the dark witch Prudence or be gone!” Nahuel roared and held a smoking sage bundle in front of him like armor. I swallowed hard.
Gloria frowned. “I remember that day like it was yesterday. Prudence was my brightest student. The affinity for the power stone worried me a little but not really. She was a nice girl. As the head priestess, it was my honor to name her. I did the ceremony and the second I cried out ‘Prudence Heather Sorenson,’ she killed me!”
Yes! I grinned. Prudence Heather Sorenson was going down.
“Thank you,” I told Gloria honestly.
Nahuel began to fan her with sage as the witches chanted.
“No, I want to stay!” she called out, reaching for me.
I put my hands in front of me and mist poured out of them. “Go back to where you came!” I commanded her firmly.
The mist and sage smoke wrapped around her. Frowning, she looked around the room. “Tell them I miss them,” she said sadly, and disappeared.
I looked at Nahuel. “Thank you.” I’m not sure that would have gone down so well without him.
He nodded but looked at me with reservation. Were my eyes green again?
Suddenly, he took me in an embrace. “Goodbye, Aurora.” He squeezed me hard. Nahuel wasn’t the hugging type. That wasn’t a normal goodbye. Sadness overcame me as he let go and walked away.
‘What’s wrong?’ Kai picked up on my feelings.
‘Nothing, just doing a spell in the barn,’ I told him. I couldn’t let Nahuel leave like that.
I pushed past the witches and followed Nahuel outside. “Wait! What’s wrong?” I called out.
He looked over his shoulder. “Nothing, little sister. The time has come for me to fulfill my purpose just as you should fulfill yours. Our time together has come to an end. You’re ready.”
Panic gripped me. “Will I be able to?”
He gave me a look. “I’m not worried about that. You are powerful, too powerful.” He said it like it was negative.
“The Devi,” I stated.
He nodded. “There’s a reason everything has come so easy to you. When the Devi gets what she wants …”
Realization crashed over me. He was saying goodbye because he knew I would defeat Layla and then I would die. “So, you’re saying I’m only strong because of the Devi. That I’m not strong enough by myself. To survive.” My hands shook.
He gave me a pained expression and walked back over to me. “I’m saying it has been my pleasure to guide you. I’m here for you and I believe in you.”
What the hell? Why was he always so serious? Why did I feel like I wouldn’t see him again? “I love you,” I told him. I didn’t want him leaving without knowing how much he meant to me. Because this sure as hell felt like a goodbye.