The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 15

                                                                                    Indigo

I was so scared when I saw Linda's broken form lying in Aunt Jenny's trembling arms. I got more scared when Rachel couldn't heal her. I was afraid that Katherine would faint again or worse, die, if she used her magic again, but I couldn't just let Linda die. She was my cousin. She was family. I trusted that Katherine knew what she was doing.

At first, I thought even Katherine wouldn't be able to save Linda from whatever darkness was inside her. Then the blue magic swelled strong and a blue cocoon formed around them; I don't think Katherine noticed what was happening, but everyone outside saw.

We saw wisps of black smoke dart out and take the shape of a monster with long claws. Swirls of blue magic became a phoenix and the two forces dueled. It was breathtaking. I heard Ashley and Rachel mutter stuff about protectors or guardians, something about the magic. The villagers murmured in amazement. It was amazing. The monster swiped at the phoenix but it dodged and clawed at the monster. It was a fight between good and evil. Around and around they went, until the phoenix struck a death blow and the monster shattered into a hundred thin tendrils of smoke. The phoenix spread its wings and loomed over the blue cocoon in all its glory. Then the magic was sucked inward, and everything disappeared. Linda woke up.

"Linda!" I ran forward to join the family hug. Aunt Jenny was weeping with relief and even Uncle George had tears in his eyes. Alex hugged his sister tightly and I wrapped my arms around them both.

"They are armed and ready to fire! They're coming for the chosen ones!" another villager cried, bursting through the circles of people till he reached us. "You have to leave now!"

"Wait, armed horsemen? Coming for us? How did they know?" Aaron demanded.

"What did they look like? Any crests, flags, anything?" Lucian asked. The villager, a young man in his early twenties, shook his head.

"All we saw was an army of dark-clad figures heading this way. They have weapons. The temperature dropped like ten degrees. I even saw some sorts of magic like she did, except it was a sickly green color and felt evil." He gestured towards Katherine.

"Evils?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know. Could be. But there were horsemen, too. So it has to be partly human," I said. "What do we do now?"

"The proper thing to do would be to stay and fight. We can't let an innocent village be slaughtered because of us," said Jason.

"You can't stay here." An elderly man hobbled up to us, his cane tapping the ground. I recognized him as the village elder. "You all must leave. We can delay the army to buy you time. You're the chosen ones. You must not be captured."

"But the village was never prepped to fight," Jason argued. "They will kill you."

"Child, I would gladly sacrifice my life so that you seven can save the world," the old man said. "We all would. We know about the prophecy. We know that you are the chosen seven. We know. And after your help today, we owe you something." People nodded around us. Jason looked at me for help.

"Indigo, you call the shots. What do we do?"

"They know we're the chosen ones," I murmured. "How?"

"It was prophesied, long ago. A different prophecy, made by a local seer. He said that seven shall come our way, armed with other things than just weapons. He said that when trouble fell on the village, they will help, which will reveal their secret abilities and prove that they are the chosen Rosewood seven. And here you are, decades later," the elder said. "Now, you all must leave! Quickly!"