Fateful Signs (Ballad of the Seer, Book Three)

Chapter 21 - Back to Where You Once Belonged

Instead of driving for days to get to South Carolina - they found out this morning that they were currently in Michigan - Lily wanted to take a portal. The only problem was that she had never been to South Carolina, except in Duncan's memory, and she didn't think it would be smart to portal into the warlocks' compound. Thankfully, Duncan said that he remembered enough about the place to get them there.

        After saying goodbye to Atna, the old dryad woman, Lily cast the portal spell on a closet door, opening it up to the black void. Her fingertips itched with the power contained within. She pulled the backpack, filled with the clothes and various items they'd got yesterday, onto her back. Duncan stepped up to the portal and held his hand out for hers. When she reached out, he took her hand and laced their fingers together. Together, they stepped into the portal.

        Lily cleared her mind, focusing on what she was feeling, rather than thinking anything. Her stomach did a somersault and she became dizzy-headed as the magic of the portal moved them through the universe, whisking them across the country.

        A light appeared ahead and they stepped out into the sunshine. The smell of the salty sea dominated the air. The roar of waves crashing against the shore was loud in her ears. They were standing on a porch, just a hundred feet from the ocean. "Where are we?" she asked.

        "This is the beach house that my family used to rent every year." Duncan had a faraway look in his eyes. In his mind, he was taken back to those long gone days. He remembered running down the beach and having his father come along and scoop him up, tossing him up into the air. He thought at the time that his dad was the strongest man alive. His memories turned dark, going back to the day he was taken by the warlocks. He saw the broken, hollow shell of a man that his father had become. He turned to her and smiled. Even if she hadn't heard his thoughts, she would have known the smile was just for show. "We should get going. It's a couple hours from here to my old house. Or the place it was before my mom blew it up, trying to kill Maxwell."

        "It's too bad she didn't succeed." Lily joked, halfheartedly.

        "Tell me about it."

        The door behind them opened and a man stepped outside. "Can I help you?"

        Lily locked eyes with the man. "Forget that you saw us." she commanded.

        They didn't wait to see the push take hold. They walked down the few steps to the beach and then around the house to the street. They needed a car if they were going to get anywhere. However, she hated to take one from some unsuspecting person. She turned to Duncan to ask his opinion, but stopped when she saw him holding a phone to his ear - it was one of the prepaid ones they got with the other stuff stashed in Lily's backpack.

        "Hi, it's Duncan." he said. There was something in his voice that she couldn't quite decipher. There was definitely a trace of nervousness and apprehension, even some anxiety.

        It wasn't until he said, "I know. It's been a long time." that she realized what that other thing was. It was a sense of release. Like that first breath you take when you break through the surface of water after too long being submerged. "I missed you, too."

         "Yeah." he said, as Lily began to wonder who he could be talking to. "Listen, I was wondering if you could help me with something right now."

         Duncan paused to let the other person speak. "Oh, well, if you're busy, don't worry about it. It's fine. I just, I needed someone to pick me up. You and Granny are the only people I know here."

         Lily was shocked. She didn't know that he had any family still living, apart from his parents. In fact, she was almost certain that he had once told her that. With her eyes fixed on his profile, as he stared off into the distance, she wondered what else she didn't know about him. Until yesterday she hadn't even known where he was from. She watched his lips forming words, but her ears didn't seem to comprehend what he was saying. Her mind was too preoccupied, with the notion that he had needlessly lied to her for months.