Mystic Awakening Read online

  She leaned her head against the cool cast iron and let her mind slip away. She’d been born with many unexplainable gifts and had spent a lifetime trying to hide them. Reading thoughts, emotions, and auras, while unusual, didn’t actually trouble her. Many psychics professed they could do the same thing. Although she’d never sought their counsel.

  No, it was her ability to control others’ thoughts and perceptions, use her voice as a weapon, and move objects with a simple thought, that scared her. They made her doubt herself.

  Am I good or evil?

  She’d devoted her whole life to proving her goodness and rarely used her gifts.

  Blurring her appearance and creating mental compartments were her two greatest weapons. She could store and lock away information on every case and never feel the emotion. She could blend into any surroundings, which made her perfect for undercover operations. Both of these gifts had led to her current role. Still, she doubted her abilities, with the exception of her telepathic link to Angie.

  Angie had always been her stabilization. They’d met at college during their freshmen year and shared an instant connection. A first for Kate. She’d spent her whole life shutting people out until that point. Within a couple months, they’d realized their telepathic link, which had saved them both many times over the years, especially since joining the FBI.

  Hiding her abilities took tremendous effort; she often came home exhausted from trying to do her job, while keeping her secrets hidden from those closest to her. Her own family hadn’t accepted her. Why would anyone else?

  As Kate’s body relaxed, and the warm water relieved the aches in her bones, she pushed her worries aside and let her mind drift away to a more peaceful world. Abruptly she felt herself being pulled into something and dragged under the water. But she couldn’t wake up and couldn’t fight.

  Heart hammering, she tried to focus. On some subconscious level, she knew she wasn’t awake and not actually drowning. She hadn’t received many visions, but she suspected this could be one.

  The fog cleared, revealing a beautiful, luscious green field, with a small brook running through it. A gorgeous woman, with long, flowing brunette hair and two twin girls, with bouncing blonde curls played in the distance. They giggled as they chased the woman, then collapsed in a patch of flowers.

  A man she hadn’t noticed before started walking toward her. Kate could only feel love within him, so she hoped he didn’t mean her any harm. His hair was also brown, but lighter than the woman’s. His bright smile radiated happiness, and his sapphire eyes looked similar to her own.

  He stopped directly in front of her and hesitated for a moment before giving her a quick hug. “Welcome.”

  “Where am I exactly? I don’t recognize this place.”

  He reached for her hand and led her to a large boulder beside the water, motioning for her to have a seat. The trickling sound of the creek caught her attention. She’d never had a vision seem so real. The warm breeze caressed her face, and the scent of wildflowers filled her nose.

  “You’re in Ireland, my child. Though it may not still look this way in your time, this is my homeland. You are my descendent.”

  She wasn’t sure how to respond. It wasn’t often you met grandparents this many times removed. She tried to hold everything in, but wanted to ask a million questions. She started with the most obvious. “Why me? Why have I been burdened with these abilities that I don’t understand? Why are you here?”

  The man watched the children splashing in the water. He turned back to meet Kate’s eyes, his own filled with sadness and regret. “You, child, are my future, my hope. We are currently in one of my fondest memories, before I lost everything. It took place only months before my death. My name is Cassius.”

  She started to speak, but he held his hand up for silence. “I’m sorry, but I do not have much time. I used a spell to connect us, but it has limitations. As your power grows, I may be able to answer more questions for you. For now, I must tell you only what you need to know.

  “You will soon embark on an incredible and terrifying journey. In order to maintain civilization as you know it, many battles have been fought and many have died. Please understand that everything I did was to give you a normal life, a chance at true human happiness without the weight of the world on your shoulders. Destiny is a path we all must follow and, unfortunately, yours is a great, but sad one.”

  He stood and walked closer to Kate. He took her into his arms one last time and squeezed tight. “We have done much to protect you. Now the time of the Awakening has begun. Embrace it. Live your life. Find love. I am so proud of the woman and leader you have become.”

  He gestured toward the girls rolling in the meadow, but his eyes held great sorrow. “They are your past. The beginning of who you are and what you will become. You will not be alone. Look for your guide. I will always be with you. Be brave, my child.”

  His hand lovingly brushed her cheek, and she felt his pain, but also his love and acceptance. His eyes bore into hers, then she gasped for air. Pain stabbed through her body. She awoke in her tub. Everything had returned to normal.

  She jumped up and splashed water all over the floor. Feeling partially drugged and a little sluggish, she struggled to clear her head and remember all the details of her vision. She’d never experienced anything this powerful before. How was it possible to talk to a dead person? Then again, how was any of this possible?

  Grabbing a towel, she caught a glimpse of her body in the mirror and froze.

  She gripped the wall. She stepped closer to her full-length reflection on the bathroom door. All of her cuts, bruises, and pain were gone. Like they’d never existed. The jagged cut on her leg hadn’t even left a scar.

  What the heck? She stared in amazement and shook her head. It had to have been the pain in her vision, when Cassius had sent her back. He’d somehow healed her.

  Angie’s going to be so pissed.

  Kate sat down on the edge of the tub, rubbing her forehead. None of this made any sense. In the past few weeks, her abilities had increased to the point she had trouble controlling them, and she’d discovered that demons or some type of evil creatures were possibly real. And now, to top it off, she’d experienced a vision that completely healed her.

  Wrapping her arms around her chest, she rocked back and forth. What was this new destiny he spoke of? What the hell did an awakening mean? And why did she need to be brave?

  Chapter 2

  “Xander, why didn’t you knock her out and grab her? We could be well on our way to the Meadows by now. Your powers aren’t recharging, and that tattoo on your arm is glowing like a damn beacon. I hate to say it, but maybe it’s time to call that absent brother of yours.” Gregory paced to the window, while Xander rolled his eyes.

  “His name is Xavier.”

  “Yep. That’s the one. Now see what he has to say, if he can come out of hiding long enough to bless us with his opinion.”

  Gregory’s agitation was starting to rub Xander the wrong way, even if his intentions were good. He shook his head, then closed his eyes and began the connection.

  His twin brother should have been on this mission with him, but Xavier’s wife had died at the same time the Ancient Council had detected the Mystic’s birth. The loss had driven him to insanity. Therefore, protecting the Mystic had fallen to Xander without the help of his second in command.

  Luckily, his best friend had volunteered to step in. Who knew it would take nearly thirty years to find her? That’s why he cut Gregory so much slack. They were both stuck in hell.

  Xavier now lived in the Shadows where his emotions could be muted. This was a dimension existing between the human and other realms. Its inhabitants could easily create portals, giving them instant access to any particular place. Shadow Warriors heavily guarded the territory.

  Xavier finally connected. “What is it? I’m trying to keep an eye on your charge while you come up with another grand plan to introduce yourself, Agent Montgomery. L
ike she can’t figure that one out.”

  The tension was so thick, Xander doubted if his sword would make a dent. Eventually, they were all going to have the come to Jesus meeting that was always nipping at their heels. He started to retort, but decided to see it as a positive omen that at least his brother had begun to show more signs of emotions. “I’ve got something happening to me that Gregory and I can’t figure out. I don’t want to encounter the girl again without knowing if I have some kind of demon-tracker or spell following me.”

  “What are you talking about? There’s no such thing for a Guardian.” Xavier’s demeanor shifted, but irritation still remained in his voice.

  What did his brother have to be frustrated about? Last time he checked, Xavier hadn’t given up thirty years of his life searching for a needle in a haystack.

  Gritting his teeth, Xander took a deep breath. “Why don’t you pop your ass over here and look for yourself?” He realized he must have said the last part out loud, because Gregory spun around and smirked.

  He felt a slight fissure in the air, then his identical twin stood before him. It was always a shock to see himself in his brother, since they were apart for so many years at a time. “Let me see it.” Xander held up his arm. His brother inspected the tattoo that proclaimed him as the Guardian. The image had appeared the moment the Mystic had been born.

  Xavier casually flicked a glance toward Gregory. “Doesn’t he have the answer since he thinks he knows everything?”

  Gregory flew off the couch and landed a few inches from Xavier’s face, ready to fight, but Xander shoved him away. “We don’t have time for these petty differences right now. The fate of the world is on our shoulders, remember? Keep your heads straight.” Facing Xavier, he added, “So, do you know why my tattoo is glowing like a Christmas tree?”

  “When did it start?”

  “The night we helped the Mystic kill the demon.”

  Xavier sighed. “I’m not sure what’s going on. The tattoo usually only lights up when the Mystic is activated, but she’s still human at this point. I’m going to have to ask Rowena on this one.” His brother turned, then hesitated. “You know, at some point, you’re going to have to start speaking to her again.” In a quick flash of light, he vanished.

  Running his hands through his hair, Xander walked to the window overlooking the city and placed his head against the cool glass. He’d wasted the past thirty years looking for this woman and now that he’d found her, she had no idea who she truly was. Without convincing evidence that his message was truth, she was unlikely to jump on board and say, Sure, I’d love to face a battle controlling the fate of all humans that will probably kill me. Doesn’t everyone want to do that?

  He growled in frustration. Twenty-eight years ago, the Ancient Council, governing body of the Magical Realm, had announced the Mystic’s birth, but powerful magic protected her identity. They’d refused to give him any more information. He hadn’t been in contact with them since, with the exception of a few meetings he’d been forced to attend.

  Finally, Xavier had learned from Zane, leader of the Shadow Warriors, that the previous Mystic had cast a spell to protect the identity of the future Mystic. An unbreakable spell, because she was of his bloodline. No one knew exactly how he had pulled it off before his death, but it had worked. Nearly thirty years later, they had finally found her, and she was still mostly human. How the hell would a human save the world? She better be something truly special.

  Kate was strong, he’d give her that. And, he decided he should probably start using her name. Before they’d appeared in the alleyway, he’d watched her fight a pretty tough demon. If she’d understood what she was fighting, she might have been able to defeat him on her own. Despite the fact she’d taken several hits, he’d been impressed that she’d kept getting back up. She would need that tenacity. Then he reminded himself again, she was still human.

  Humans tended to be weak, needy, and pathetic. He had met few honorable humans in his lifetime. Most ran at the sight of trouble, and would throw their own friends or family under the bus to escape. The more time he’d spent with them, the more he despised their species. However, he wasn’t an idiot. He’d felt the immediate spark between the two of them. He wasn’t sure what to do. Should he foster the emotional bond or stay away from it? She would have to choose to cross the threshold of her own free will.

  Xander felt the tingle in his shoulder blades. His brother flashed back into the room. It hadn’t taken that long, so maybe that meant good news. Then he saw his brother’s face and the way his eyes darted away from his, and he knew. Something was wrong.

  Xavier motioned them toward the couch. “You better sit down. I checked with Zane and the Council, and they both came to the same conclusion. They believe you inadvertently started the Awakening process ahead of schedule.”

  “Holy shit.” Gregory sat down across from Xavier and for once didn’t make one single nasty comment. Not good.

  Xander rubbed his palms across his thighs, trying to sort through all he knew about the Awakening. “How is that possible? The Awakening doesn’t start until she’s in the Meadows, safe within the magical realms. There’s a full ceremony, then she’ll arise as the Mystic. They must be wrong.”

  “I don’t think they’re wrong, and neither do you. It has to be because she was born as a human and hasn’t transformed yet. Different rules are applying this time.” Xavier reached forward and touched Xander’s tattoo. “You’ve triggered the Awakening and therefore, the Rising has begun. We only have a matter of months to prepare her. Zane believes it occurred when you healed her leg. If I’m not mistaken, you had a cut on your hand from blocking a knife. When you healed her leg, you accidentally began the blood bonding process. After the Mystic is awakened by the Council and granted powers, he or she is then bonded to their Guardian through a blood ritual for eternity.”

  “Are you shitting me? I didn’t perform a ritual. I barely touched her, for that matter.” Xander didn’t wait for his response. Somewhere inside himself, he already knew the answer. It explained the weird pull to go to her, and the sudden spike in sexual tension. He forced himself to focus within and could feel the pulse of their connection. Great. “We haven’t officially met the Mystic yet and I’ve already screwed it up. What now?”

  Xavier reached forward and grasped his shoulder. “You didn’t complete the bond. It was only sparked, but that’s enough to set things in motion sooner than anticipated. And there’s more that I need to tell you.” He hesitated. “Because you created the bond before you entered the Meadows, and partially awakened the Mystic within her, your energy field and essence are binding to her human half.”

  Grinding his teeth, Xander could barely utter the words. “And that means what exactly?”

  “It’s the reason you feel the drain on your powers and can’t recharge. It’s already hard enough for our kind to maintain energy in this realm for long periods of time, but your energy source is turning human. It will eventually drain all of your power and prevent you from re-entering the Meadows. You must find the girl and convince her to cross over.” Xavier paused, and Xander simply stared at him.

  His chest seized up. Xander’s fists tightened, then he hurled the coffee table across the room. Gregory quickly intercepted it and returned it to the floor. Breathing hard, Xander pushed him out of the way and began punching the wall.

  Xavier froze him in an attempt to calm him down, but he had no difficulty spewing anger from his mouth. “Are you telling me that I’m turning into one of those pathetic, sniveling humans that cursed us into hiding in the first place?”

  “Not exactly. You can still get to the Meadows and maintain your power and energy. Then you can reconnect to the full Mystic and be back to normal.” Xavier sat down for the first time, and Xander finally came to his senses as he felt the pain and emotions of his brother.

  Xander tried his best to control the rage swirling inside him. His entire livelihood was threatened because of this one st
upid human who was supposed to save them all. Yeah right.

  He forced himself to breathe normally and stay focused. “How much time do I have?”

  Xavier shrugged. “According to Zane and the Council, probably around two weeks, depending on how much power you use along the way. And two days have already passed. One more thing you need to understand is that this is not just you losing your powers. If you turn human, your real age will take effect. Humans do not live one hundred and fifty years.”

  Something ruptured inside him. Even with Gregory helping to control his emotions, anger boiled. He despised that FBI agent for putting him in such a predicament. She should be embracing her powers and preparing for battle, not playing cops and robbers. “So what we’re facing is that I will lose my powers and die, if she doesn’t willingly cross into the Meadows within two weeks. Let’s say ten days to be on the safe side. Does that sum it up?”

  Gregory had been standing in complete silence, which was a rarity. If he didn’t have a smart comment to make, they were definitely in trouble. Their timeline had taken a massive shift for the worse. How could they convince a total stranger to follow strange men on a crazy quest that she might have to trade her life for? What was the alternative?

  We’re screwed. I’m dead.

  Xavier faded back into the Shadows, most likely to give Xander space and find more information. They also had demons to track. The good guys weren’t the only ones searching for the Mystic.

  Xander walked to the kitchen table and fell into the nearest chair, laying his head in his hands. He now had a death sentence hanging over his head, with less than two weeks to make miracles happen.

  He brought a picture of Kate into his mind. He would not outright deceive her, yet he had no choice but to make her fall for him. In her line of work, she would have to trust him first. He could work with that. If she fell in love with him and depended on him, she wouldn’t question crossing over.