Wicked Destiny

Chapter 14





I sat there on my sofa pissed with Shay and Viktor. I thought I’d done pretty good so far with not letting magic control my life. I just wanted to have a little fun. I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Now I was irritated and needed a distraction. I thought I neglected my studio long enough. Feeling spunky, I walked through my door still wearing my clothes from earlier and I crossed the next threshold. I changed into my overalls and pinned up my hair, taking out my iPhone from the leg pocket.

I started the music and turned it up. I let the music determine everything. Looking at the blank canvas, I picked up a pencil and grabbed the sketch pad instead. I sat at my bay window that had a great view of the river walk and a down below park where kids could play. After a couple strokes, I looked up to see if I was missing anything. Nothing had changed. The water flowed down stream, runners ran along the river walk and mothers chased their kids through the park. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if I became a mother. Would everything of me pass to it? I was sure it would, and now that I thought about it, I wouldn’t want this life for a child.

Having kids was far from my life, but I already felt robbed—robbed of the option to choose. It seemed like I never had a choice anymore. Everything hung in the way of my choice and I had never been so confused in my life. The music still blared in my ears and no matter how loud I had Halestorm playing, it wasn’t loud enough to drown out my thoughts. I finally gave up and laid my head against the window, silently watching the world around me as I drifted off.

I’m walking in the clearing and for the first time in a long time, I sense peace. I’m not dressed in my usual nightgown, either. I’m wearing a white sundress. Just over the hill I see someone…a guy holding what appeared to be a blonde-haired toddler. The sun is so bright behind them that I can hardly look at them without grimacing. I begin to walk towards them without even thinking. Looking down, I can see it’s time to plow the field, but I love the feel of the tall weeds hitting my hands as run through them.

It’s a warm day and I bask in the sunlight. I look back at the tall man holding the toddler. They are waving goodbye with a daisy in their hands and my heart begins to break. I am no longer taking my time. As they turn their backs to me, the child looks over the man’s shoulder and begins to cry. I‘m trying my best to get there, but it’s as if I’m running in quick sand. No matter how hard I try to use my power to get to them, it only makes things worse.

I’m panicking and tears are running down my face. I need to know who they are and for some reason I have to see the eyes of the child. As I’m steadily pumping my legs to get going, I hear something coming out of the woods. It’s the darkness and it’s making its way towards the unknown man and child. I can hear their screams as I work desperately to get to them. “No!”I scream out. I break free and make my way up the hill that they disappeared behind. And no one is there. Just a lonely daisy that lies crumpled. The darkness is gone and I’m there alone.

I suddenly hear a child’s cry in the far distance and I jump to my feet. I can’t determine which direction it came from, but then the cold, prickling feeling comes back as if someone is watching me. “What do you want?” I scream. Of course no one answered.

I’m turning to dwell in my own misery when I hear it. “You.”

I try to run, but I’m surrounded by the darkness and it finally catches up with me. There is nothing I can do.





When I awoke, it was dark outside and the music from 30 Seconds to Mars played in my ear buds. “Beautiful Lie” was the song and it was so fitting after the dream. To think that a child would ever be possible for me was crazy. Even to be happy in love with someone and living a normal life. Looking down, I saw I had sketched what looked like me waving to the unknown man and child in the clearing. How odd, but inspiring.

I grabbed a canvas and went to work on it. I sketched the picture, and then mixed the right colors together. It wasn’t long before my dream became a picture-perfect moment. I didn’t sleep through the night at all. I didn’t answer my calls and if there was a knock on the door, I didn’t notice. I was determined to get this done. I couldn’t let it disappear like it did in my dream.

It was probably about four in the morning when someone stood in my doorway. Undoubtedly, that someone was Declan with a bag full of food. This was a serious invasion of privacy. I’d lost it the last time someone just walked in here and the only reason I wasn’t using my newly found witchery on him was because of the grumble in my stomach from the lack of food. Looking at the painting, something made me feel very protective over it. I didn’t want anyone to see it, more less touch it.

“What do you want?” I asked, as I walked over to the sink to wash out my brushes.

“Everyone was worried about you.”

“Oh, so they sent you to check on me?”

“No.” He walked in and set the bag on the table. “I can leave if you want me to.”

“I honestly don’t care what you do, Declan. Why don’t you go back to your girlfriend? I’m sure she’s waiting on you.”

“Why do you say things like that?”

“Because I know she is. Because I did it for three years, and if she knew better, she’d run.”

He was on edge now.

“Do you think you were the only one that lost out? There were nights I refused to sleep for fear of dreaming of you.” He ran his hands through his hair. He was clearly aggravated because I touched a nerve, but I didn’t care. Nothing would make up for all the sleepless nights and days I went without eating. “I know I hurt you and I would gladly cut my right arm off if that would make you happy or make things right.”

“Well, it’s all in the past. Why you even came back here is irrelevant; I don’t need you. I have people who are here and who stuck with me.”

“You can’t be serious! Shay is human and will be killed if she gets involved and Viktor is just waiting for the right time to convert you so that the prophecy can play out. You know that’s not you and if Dru was here today, she would say the same.”

Oh, he did it now. The nerve that had been teetering on the verge of unleashing just burst. With everything I had, I sent out a force that slammed Declan against the wall with enough power to cause pieces of plaster to fall to the ground. He was paralyzed against my hold on him and I walked straight up to him. I’m sure my eyes reflected every emotion I was feeling then, but the look on his face said he knew I wouldn’t hurt him. I stood face-to-face with him and bent towards his ear.

“You have no right to speak about her like that.” I tightened a force around his neck as if a rope was there. He didn’t fight it and took it as I gave it. “She was the very first person to love me and care for me. She was the only one who stuck around.” He gasped a little for air. “If you ever mention her to me again, I will choke the life out of you for however long it takes your angel ass to give out. This is my final warning, Declan. Leave before I really hurt you.” I released him and he fell to the ground on all fours, trying to catch his breath. I turned my back to him. “Go feed your girlfriend,” I said, and a sent the food flying at him.

“I’m sorry for what I did to you, but you have to understand I moved on and you should too. You won’t ever see me again. I’m with Gabby and she’s the same as me. So, you see, I don’t have to hide who I am with her.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “So everything was just an act? Wow, you really need an award for this.” Instantly—poof—he was gone.

I went back to painting and made myself forget about being hungry and hurt. I pushed everything so far away. At some point I must have given in and passed out. Still covered in paint, how I made it to the bed was beyond me.