Mystic Betrayal, page 3
part #2 of Mystic Series
“It was formerly protected by the Shadow Warriors and now we try our best to patrol it. No one actually lives there, and it is completely hidden from humans. I believe this place was chosen due to the changing world. We can’t exactly hide a massive and violent battle in the Human Realm anymore. Technology has far surpassed what we can completely control without causing ripples in the human plane and creating too much risk.” On the screen, a beautiful but desolate place popped up.
Kate gasped and glanced at Xander. She already knew this place. She’d seen it many times in her dreams ever since she was a little girl. It had always been a desolate place but she had never felt threatened there. More connections to her destiny. She should’ve known it had meaning.
Kate spoke, her voice shaking, “I’ve already seen this battleground. I have been there in my dreams a million times.”
She stared at the screen representing Micah’s vision. Her hand drifted over the scene painted before her. Some of the rocks had beautiful colors swirled around them while others looked like regular rocks. The water and steam pockets were amazing except most of the water was gone, and she knew from her dreams that the water wasn’t really hot. She felt lonely in this place, and it still held the taint of the bloodshed.
Gazing toward the edge of the rocks, she noted the trees were ridiculously tall but appeared to be standing in the middle of a swamp or marsh. Old West meets the Bayou, now there’s a unique perspective. It was even odder knowing it was real and not a dream. She looked deeper in the picture and knew in her gut something would change about this location before the battle. She racked her brains but got nothing. The damn Mystic instincts were acting up again. They needed to start providing some answers. Ugh! How infuriating!
Kate connected with Xander so he could read the information from her mind. His eyebrows creased together in confusion. His biggest concern was her doubt about the location. Micah apparently noticed the look pass between them and asked loftily, “Obviously, there is some concern. What is it, Kate? We need to know.” He purposely ignored Xander so he wouldn’t be the one to respond. His jealousy issues were getting old.
Frustrated, she pushed back from the table and ran her hands across her face and through her hair.
“That’s normal, Kate.” Rowena said gently. “You will learn over time that as the Mystic, you will know things before you know them.” As Kate glared, Rowena laughed. “A Mystic feels changes in the universe before they have actually been put into motion. Therefore, you can’t see what it is yet, but know it’s coming. That’s why it’s so important to listen to your instincts and have patience for the answers to reveal themselves in their own time. Fate’s time, not yours.” Rowena chided softly as Kate’s annoyance continued to grow. She would have to gain a lot of patience in her new world. It wouldn’t be easy.
Micah changed the picture since he was obviously ready to have Kate’s attention back on him. “Since you are already aware of the battleground, all I can tell you right now about the battle is that there is no clear indication of the future or whether you live or die.” Well that was putting her back in her place. Jeez, couldn’t he find anything peppier to say? Kate realized he hadn’t liked the fact she had one-upped him on the battleground information. What a prick!
Xander growled and nearly launched out of his seat. He wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of him. Kate felt his possessiveness and anger. She grabbed his arm and held him close beside her. This was not helping to accomplish anything, and they had lots more to cover.
Micah cleared his throat, putting Xander on the very edge and continued. “The only addition that impacts us today is the addition of Angie into my visions.” That shut everyone up, and he had their attention now.
“Once she crossed over into the Meadows, she became a part of the fabric here. She is meant to train and Rowena will go over some of that shortly. She will fight in the battle, but I cannot tell you her fate. Her training must become a focus because my visions hint that she will play a very important part.” He snarled at Xander to get a rise. This time Xavier balked and looked ready to pounce.
Marcus intervened and sent Micah a message to sit. It was time to move on, but Xander couldn’t help moving Micah’s chair as he sat down. Kate tried to intercede. She could see the plan in Xander’s mind but he was stubborn. Even if Micah could see it coming, it would send a silent message and make him feel better. To Kate’s and his amazement, Micah missed the chair and it was only his speed and strength that allowed him to recover without falling all the way down.
What the…? Micah had always been able to see Xander’s decisions and read his thoughts, but he hadn’t this time. The more she thought about it, Kate realized it was because of his bond with her. His mind was protected by her powers in order to protect her mind. She could hear Xander’s triumphant ‘YES!!’ bouncing around her head. Xander smiled secretly as Micah glared daggers at him, coming to the same conclusion. Kate smothered her own smile.
Tristan, the Glider on the Council, shifted as the pause in conversation expanded. “Can we get on with this? I have warriors to prepare and vamps to kill. We also have a huge battle that determines our fate to prepare for as well. What I DON’T have time for is this adolescent behavior.” It was clear Micah didn’t like the reprimand but didn’t want to challenge him. He sat back down and started shuffling through papers like he had something important to find.
“I agree,” Marcus said quickly. “Tristan, will you tell us briefly about the training and recruitment?”
“Not much extra to say about training. Everyone will be reporting to the facilities soon and will have a strict schedule to follow. It will include several aspects of physical, magical, and emotional endurance. Kate and Angie will also receive classes in witchcraft and other supernatural aspects conducted by Camilla and Jane.” Camilla was the only human witch to be granted immortality and admitted into Meadows. “She will discuss that later. Rowena will continue working directly with Kate and her mystic abilities and how to control and use them properly.” Tristan paused and took a deep breath. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable talking this much at once.
“As for recruitment, that is much more complicated and will be discussed in depth as training progresses. It will ultimately be up to Kate to do most of the recruiting in the U.S. where we don’t see as much urgency due to lack of memories of the last Rising. One of Kate’s responsibilities will be to help them see the importance of the Rising, and they will need to see the power of the Mystic so expect challenges from them. She will need to hit some of our larger communities in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, and Boston as well as a few others. She will meet many different supernatural beings and convince them to come to the Meadows and join our army.
“Members of the Council will be recruiting in Europe and Asia as well as other locations in which they are well known. Rowena will also go to Australia since that is where she spent many years and still has strong ties there. We will break it down section by section and set up our targets. Basically if you get the leaders to follow you, you’ll get their followers. Then they all fall in line like dominoes.
“Once everyone has been properly trained and Kate has mastered her powers over the next month, we will lay out a detailed plan and move out. We will only have about a month to recruit so that we have time to train everyone as one army. The traitor is our biggest concern as we periodically leave the safety of the Meadows but it must be done. I will handle all the Gliders and Rogues except for a few that I think would like to meet Kate.” He exhaled. He looked relieved to be done.
Rowena motioned toward Camilla who nodded and smiled brightly. She glanced toward Angie. Kate realized Rowena had sent the information to her as she watched her confirm something with Jane silently. The strength in Camilla’s voice startled Kate as she spoke loud and clear. “An interesting turn of events that Jane has discovered will help us with training more than we first assumed. Jane, would you go over Angie’s blood results and then we can move on to some more specifics?”
Gregory, Xavier, and Angie all inhaled quickly. Kate reached for her hand. By this point it had become glaringly obvious that something had been found in Angie’s blood. The fact that it had Rowena’s and Camilla’s attention was nerve racking. Jane stood and nodded encouragingly toward Angie. “After completing several DNA and other tests, I have found that Angela descends from an ancient line of witches passed through the female gene. Admittedly the blood has become extremely diluted over time.”
Kate and Angie both gasped and exchanged a look as Jane continued.
“Angie is a human witch, which means she has some power in her for spells, potions, protection, etc. Our advantage is that while it is weak in her blood line, her mental connection to Kate strengthened her blood to the point we can now teach Angie several of the basics. She will at least be able to perform low level spells and magic. These skills tremendously improve her chances during battle especially with increased protection spells.
“I’m not sure how much she can recover in her blood, but she will be able to recover enough to build many skills over time. I suspect that once Kate became the Mystic, Angie’s powers increased due to the fact she carries some of the Mystic’s blood. It never left her body which is extremely rare. It’s like the blood wants to protect her.” Jane walked over and hugged Angie. “Welcome to our coven. I’m so excited.”
Angie’s face was frozen. Kate could hear the thoughts racing around her head. “I’m a witch! No way! I’m the normal one in this whole mess. Do I not have enough to deal with? Is this someone’s idea of a joke?” As she continued working through the information, acceptance started working its way into her thoughts.
“I guess I always wondered why I was telepathic. I knew it wasn’t exactly normal, and I guess this is one more advantage in my corner. But a witch, really?” Kate sent her a mental push since Jane was still waiting for a response.
Angie pulled herself out of her stupor. “I’m a little shocked, Jane, but I appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to train me. I must admit I’m overwhelmed at the moment and not sure I want to become a practicing witch. It just seems surreal right now. Give me a little time and I will adjust.” Angie glanced toward Camilla who was smiling and nodding at her. Then she sat back, relaxed. Kate knew this was not the end but she had calmed for now.
“Angie,” Camilla said softly. “We do not expect you to accept our ways and become a witch overnight. With time I suspect you will realize it’s not such a big deal. It could take years to reach your full potential if you are willing. The point is that now you will be able to access protection spells and others to help you in battle. Because the only thing we all know for certain is that you intend to fight, so we will help you all that we can.”
Angie nodded. Emotion strained her face. She hadn’t expected this much support being a human. Kate sent her a mental push of comfort. She hadn’t been connected to Angie like she should have been lately. Camilla continued, “I was a human witch so I understand the enormity. Be sure to come to me if you have any struggles or doubts along the way. We can go over more later.”
Xander leaned over and wrapped his arm around Kate’s shoulders. He squeezed tight. His support meant everything to her. It calmed the storm building inside her. Her Guardian. Her soulmate. Kate reached for his hand and glanced at Rowena and Marcus, “What’s next? Where do we start today?”
Marcus motioned toward Rowena. She walked over and touched Kate’s shoulder. Kate could feel her compassion and concern. “Let’s start at the beginning today. You’ve been training within the castle for full privacy but it’s time to join your people. Tour the larger facilities, get a little practice, explore our world, and meet your new warriors. You are their leader now and soon you will have to demonstrate your skills. But not today. I believe there is also a dinner in your honor tonight at Illianna and Marco’s. She’s an excellent cook and hostess.
“The Council will not be attending tonight so that you can feel more at ease. We will meet later today. I will come to your house and go over some basics. Xavier and Nikki, I need to meet with both of you briefly on some other matters.” Rowena clapped her hands and all the furniture was returned to storage. It was quite a dismissal.
Chapter 3
They walked into town and came to a massive gray building. It stood four stories and covered several acres. The front doors were average and reminded Kate of going to a large gym except the first floor was for physical training. She saw an Olympic size pool, an exercise room with bikes and treadmills, a weight room, and a dojo. On the second floor there were several weapons rooms and floor space for weapons training.
Unlike in the FBI, military, or other human training facilities, there were no semi-automatics, grenades, or explosive devices; instead mostly swords, battle axes, crossbows, and many other outdated weapons lined across the walls. On one wall several vests were hung that she assumed were to act as shields during practice. What kind of shield would they use for anyone up against her?
The third floor had a huge room in the center with tons of candles, herbs, bottles, bowls, crystals, books, and lots of other items. This must be the witchcraft portion of the facility Kate mused. It was pretty cool and she had to admit she had always been curious about magic. She just never realized that it had so many levels involved. Several rooms were located off the center. “What are the rooms for?” Kate asked Xander.
“The basics of witchcraft are taught here in the main room but the smaller rooms are for individual practice where you can ask for help if needed or where witches and wizards can come together to practice their skills in a neutral setting. They also serve as a practice area for visiting witches and wizards which is extremely important with the Rising approaching.” Xander opened a few of the doors so she could see the different rooms.
“Where are all the people?” Angie finally spoke up. She had been salivating in the weapons room but other than that had been unusually quiet. “I expected this place to be packed with the big bad battle coming. I was hoping to see some warriors flexing muscle around this place.”
Gregory scowled and led the group back down the stairs. “The facility was closed by the Council for Kate’s inspection today and will reopen tomorrow. Everyone was at the castle anyway trying to get a glimpse of her.”
Kate kept observing as they headed back down to the first floor. “Okay, I still don’t see the training facility for using magic in battle. I won’t be wielding a sword fighting Braxus.”
Xander nodded toward a large black door behind the stairs that she really hadn’t paid attention to earlier. “In here.”
She followed him through the door. “Holy Crap!” The room was massive like a huge arena. It reminded her of the arena she had visited in Spain for bullfighting. There was bleacher style seating around the top with glass surrounding it kind of like an ice hockey stadium. Kate guessed it protected them from the magical electricity and fireballs.
Around the bottom of the arena down to the floor was thick white padding like a mental institution. Figures that this would be her main facility. Most of her family and friends would say she belonged in one right about now. The floor was slightly more cushioned similar to carpet even though it looked like a white gym floor. All in all, the place was absolutely incredible.
Gregory nudged Kate’s shoulder. “Why don’t you give it a try, Kate? See if you can use your electrical currents yet?”
“Oh sure, let me try a power I can’t control and kill everyone before we even begin training.” Kate glared. “You want to be the one to spar with me?”
“Sure, why not? Nobody lives forever except maybe you.” Gregory grinned and flung his arm around Kate’s shoulder. He looked at Xander as if asking for permission. Kate realized he was serious. What the hell? Was he suicidal?
Xander shrugged. “Your funeral.”
“Okay fine, just remember this was your suggestion if you’re on fire in the next few minutes.” Kate walked to the center of the floor. “How does this work exactly?”
Gregory joined her. “Promise you will put out the flames so I’m at least recognizable first.” He laughed as her eyes shot daggers at him. “I will use spells and some forms of energy since I am a wizard. You will deflect those spells and use your mystical energy to fight back.”
“How do I not kill you?” Kate was pretty worried but Gregory didn’t seem too concerned.
“Trust me. I’ll take care of myself and to make you feel better Xander can help strengthen my shields. If I remember correctly, I owe you one.” Gregory stretched his arms, back, and legs and got into a sparring position. Kate shrugged and followed suit. She really hoped she didn’t kill him. On the bright side, Angie’s choice would become obvious.
In the beginning it was like when they were training in the forest. They used mostly hand to hand techniques and kept it physical. Kate knew Gregory was trying to get her comfortable in her own element first which she appreciated. As she ducked his punch and connected with his chest throwing him back with a front kick, the thrill of the fight consumed her. She felt in control with knowledge and power.
The energy pulsed inside her. It was pushing up through her entire body. Just as she thought this would be an easy fight, a blast hit her square in the chest knocking her backwards about twenty feet. No wonder there’s padding in here, Kate thought briefly, but she got up quickly. Xander growled, but she shut him out and focused on the fight. Her powers surged like blood throughout her entire body. This time she welcomed it.
As Gregory sent another blast, Kate flung her hand and deflected the spell easily. Kate saw the path of her energy and how to connect and control the streams. So far she had only sent waves. She was too scared to try the jet streams yet, but she could now see them and their potential within her. Kate appreciated Gregory’s bravery for making her face her fears, but it was time to wipe that smirk off his face and teach him a lesson.
