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# Stains on the Soul

Jamie White

Smashwords Edition

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Copyright ©2013, Jamie White

License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Edited by Tara Chevrestt  
Cover by RJ Keith

# Dedication & Acknowledgements

For my husband, who has been there every step of the way on this new path I'm walking.

Thank you, Tara, for your work on my manuscript. You helped me to add so much to this story, and your advice followed me through the other books in this series.

Thank you, Michelle Cornwell-Jordan, for your encouragement and support that prompted me to submit this work.

Thanks to Vicki at Platinum Book Promotions for being such a friend to the writer community, and to the amazing people I've met at her events.

Thank you to my street team and mailing list for all of your support and love. It keeps an author going. 

Finally, thank you to readers.

#  Chapter One

The flames from the torches danced around her, creating a terrifying glow on the gathered crowd. The young girl struggled against her restraints in an attempt to escape the fate that awaited her. The jeers of the spectators echoed through her mind like a demonic chorus, sending chills down her spine.

The more she struggled, the tighter the ropes that bound her felt. She knew it was a futile endeavor—even if she did get free, she was in no condition to attempt an escape. Plus, contrary to their insane notions, she had no special powers. Her only power was her knowledge of the earth and how its resources could be used to cure ills. What good would that do against a mob such as this?

Her heart pounded and her breathing came quick and ragged as the men kneeled down to light the kindle piled beneath her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself to keep calm. Her fate was sealed, but she could at least deny them the pleasure of seeing her fear. She opened her eyes, and her gaze settled on one of the spectators.

* * *

Fiona Stevens gasped as she sat up in bed. She took a deep breath and shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of the horrifying images that had begun to haunt her sleep. For the past week, she'd been having nightmares so real it took her a minute to realize who and where she was.

"Another nightmare?"

Her sister's voice brought her back to reality. She was safe and sound in the bedroom she shared with her sister, centuries removed from the days when events like the one in her dream happened. _Get a grip already._ "Yeah, it's no big deal." She reached for the book on her nightstand and tossed it into a drawer. "I think I need to stop reading this stuff before bed. It's just fueling my muse."

Rebecca smiled. "Writers—you're all insane." The younger girl grew serious as she studied Fiona's face. "Are you _sure_ you're okay? You're white as a sheet right now."

"I'm fine. Seriously; it's no big deal." Fiona pushed the comforter aside and stuffed her feet into a pair of slippers by the bed. She stood, grabbed the robe lying on the end of her bed, and then wrapped herself in the soft, warm material. "I think I'm gonna go downstairs and get something to drink. Sorry I woke you; go back to sleep."

Her sister frowned but shrugged her shoulders. "All right. See you in the morning." Rebecca rolled over and pulled the comforter tighter to her body.

* * *

_What is wrong with me?_ Fiona gripped the mug of hot cocoa tightly and took a sip, allowing the hot liquid to take away the chill that had settled in her stomach ever since the first nightmare a week ago. She could still feel heat from the flames in her dream as she looked out the kitchen window. She was beginning to question her sanity, and that terrified her.

_Maybe it's stress._ Fiona sat back in her chair, thinking of the stack of boxes in the corner of her closet and the empty spots on some of her shelves. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a queasy feeling settled in her stomach. She squirmed in her seat, struggling to breathe against the sudden weight on her chest.

"Or maybe not..."

As she muttered the words, the sensations went away, allowing her to relax again. Tapping her fingers against the ceramic mug, she set it down and glanced at the clock. Seeing how much time had passed since she'd come down, she yawned as she stood and carried the cup into the living room. Fiona picked up the book she'd left on the coffee table earlier and settled into her favorite chair. _Might as well do something more constructive than watching the clock tick._

Fiona opened the book and flipped through the pages until she found her place. Another yawn escaped her lips as she read. She stayed like that for hours, until the words swam in front of her eyes. The realization she'd read the same paragraph five times caused her to abandon the book and trudge back upstairs to her waiting bed. As Fiona pulled the covers back over herself, she prayed for a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Fiona stood in her bathroom, staring at the image before her. _I look like a wreck_. Red lines covered the whites of her eyes, while the dark shadows beneath them contrasted with her pale skin. "Damage-control time," she muttered, splashing some cold water over her face in an attempt to wake up. She'd only slept a few hours the whole night. Despite the fact her alarm had yet to go off, Fiona had opted to get up for the day. She just didn't feel like lying in bed any longer.

She contemplated her reflection a moment before opening a drawer and digging through her makeup. She was sure she had some concealer left in there; that should take care of the dark circles at least. Fiona carefully applied the concealer, standing back afterward to inspect her work. "Not bad."

She dropped the tube back into the drawer and pushed it closed, turning her attention to the other major sign of her sleepless nights. Fiona opened the cabinet and pulled out the eye drops she'd bought the other day. After applying the medicine, she put the bottle back and returned to the bedroom to find something to wear. Jeans, tees, and other items flew behind her as she dug through the dresser. "Ah ha; here it is!"

Fiona straightened as she pulled on her favorite top. It was a purple cotton tee she'd decorated herself. Odd symbols ran along the V-neck collar she'd put on with paint she'd gotten in a craft store. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out how she'd come up with the design—or if it meant anything. Her best friend Amy had been fascinated with it when she first saw the shirt and had become convinced the symbols had to have some kind of meaning. Months of research by her friend produced no answers, and Fiona decided Amy read too much into a lot of things. It was just a shirt after all, made from doodles she'd done during chemistry class last year. Jeans and a pair of ankle boots finished her preparations.

With that done, she picked up her bag and left the room, stepping around some of the clutter from her clothing search. Fiona moved down the staircase as if she were walking through molasses as another yawn escaped her. She took the last couple of steps and stopped at the bottom of the stairs a moment to rub her eyes before continuing on. _Please let the kitchen be empty..._ She approached the room, listening for any sound. She sighed and cursed under her breath when she heard the familiar voices. Fiona breathed deep, allowing the smell of percolating coffee to fill her lungs. Steeling herself for a potential interrogation, she smiled and stepped into the room. "Morning."

Her mother sat down at the table and poured some juice into a glass. "Morning, sweetie. How'd you sleep?"

_She didn't tell them._ Her shoulder muscles relaxed as she grabbed her travel mug. "Not bad." She picked up the coffee pot and poured some of the steaming liquid into the waiting container. "Hey, Becca, need a ride? I can drop you on the way to the library."

"Sure." Her younger sister pushed aside her plate and stood to give their parents hugs before running to the door. "I'll be ready in five!"

"All right." Fiona twisted the lid on her mug and opened the cabinet to retrieve a snack bar before stuffing it into the bag slung over her shoulder. Her shoes clacked against the tiled floor as she waved and attempted to hurry out of the room before they could start a conversation. "See you later!"

Her father set aside the paper he'd been reading and motioned to one of the empty seats. "Fiona, hold on. You have a few minutes until your sister's ready. Have a seat; we wanted to talk to you a minute."

She clenched her teeth as her mood turned even sourer. _Maybe she squealed after all._ Fiona turned and walked back to the table where she took a seat. "What's up?"

Her father handed her an envelope. "This came yesterday."

Fiona glanced down at the envelope, seeing the familiar seal in the corner. Her shoulders tensed, and she bit her lip as she opened it and looked at the contents. Her stomach dropped as the words registered in her mind. _I got in..._

"Well?" Her mother's voice rose in pitch as she waited for Fiona's answer.

Fiona folded the documents and stuffed them back into the envelope. She glanced down as she forced an answer out. "They chose someone else." Even without looking, she could feel the change in the room. The air of anticipation had given way to an uncomfortable silence. The weight of their disappointment overwhelmed her.

"We're sorry, sweetie." Her father stood and walked over, wrapping his daughter in a hug.

The gentle tone of his voice and the pity in her mother's eyes did little to soothe the growing knot in her stomach. She didn't want to lie, but there was no way she was going to go to the school her parents wanted. Fiona had other ideas for her future, and they didn't include giving up her spot at Lockhart for this place.

"It's okay...at least I have somewhere else to go, right?" She tried to project the right mix of disappointment and nonchalance—the last thing she wanted was for them to try and pull some strings for her and find out about her lie. "Lockhart's got a great campus, plus they're closer." She put some emphasis on the last point, hoping to play on their impending case of empty-nest syndrome.

"True." Her mother nodded as she bit her lower lip. "You know, it would be nice for you to be closer."

_Score..._ Before either one could say anything else, her sister's footsteps sounded through the house. "Sounds like Becca's ready." Fiona stuffed the envelope into her bag and stood. "I'd better get going." She gave them each one last hug before hurrying for the door, almost bumping into her sister in her rush.

"Oops!" Rebecca laughed and readjusted the strap of her purse. "Sorry about that."

"No problem." Fiona motioned for her sister to walk and followed her out the door.

* * *

The wind whipped through the sisters' hair as they sped down the familiar streets. Large green trees lined the road, and the sweet aroma of a neighbor's flower garden permeated the air along with the sounds of children playing in their yards. Rebecca pulled her short brown hair back from her face with one hand while she looked out the window at the passing homes.

Fiona tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she glanced over at her sister occasionally. Each moment of silence between them allowed her to think a little too much about the dream she'd had and wonder whether or not she should say anything. Once she'd come to a decision, she forced the words out before she could change her mind. "I need a favor."

Rebecca looked over at Fiona, her eyebrow raised. "What?"

Fiona gaze strayed to Rebecca a moment before turning her attention back to the road. "You know those dreams I've been having lately?"

"Yeah?"

Fiona paused, considering her words. "You haven't said anything to Mom and Dad about them, right?"

"No, why?" Rebecca reached in her bag and retrieved her lip gloss. She pulled down the visor mirror and applied a thin coat before tossing the small tube back into her purse.

"I'd just rather you not. You know how they are—I really don't need them starting to worry more than they already do."

Rebecca giggled and looked up at her sister. "Tell me about it! You are so lucky; you're going to be leaving soon. I'm stuck here another two years!"

"Exactly—it would make my life so much easier if you kept quiet. Deal?" Fiona took her right hand off of the steering wheel and extended her pinky.

Her sister linked her own pinky with Fiona's and nodded. "Deal."

* * *

Fiona pulled into the parking space, cringing as the turn of her steering wheel caused a squeal of protest. "I really need to get you checked out," she muttered. She put the car into park and slammed the door behind her as she exited the vehicle.

She paused outside the car, breathing deep. The scent of flowers filled her senses as she approached the quaint building that housed Fiona's home-away-from-home. She'd started working in the bookstore the first week of her senior year, and now she frowned as she contemplated how soon she'd be leaving it.

Paul's Books was a charming one-story house that the owner had converted into a store when Fiona was about ten. She'd always loved visiting the place, charmed by possibilities that filled the shelves and the homey atmosphere inside. He'd used an old antique desk to house his register and adorned the hard-wood floors with old rugs. He always left the windows open during the day, filling the space with cool, fresh air and lots of natural lighting.

Chimes filled the air as she pushed open the front door. She walked toward the back of the shop, suppressing a giggle as she watched her boss struggle with an armful of books that covered his line of vision. "Looks like I showed up just in time."

"As usual. You'll have to teach me that trick someday. Can you take some of these?"

"Sure." She grabbed part of the stack and glanced at the cover of the one on top before walking across the room to put it on its proper shelf. She noticed one in perfect condition and opened the front cover, breathing deep of the distinct scent of fresh printing while Paul's back was turned.

She wandered through the store for several minutes, placing the new acquisitions on the shelves before taking her normal place at the counter. She pulled a small notebook out of her bag and began scribbling while she waited for the chimes above the front door to sound.

"What's that you're working on?" Paul walked over and opened the register before proceeding to relieve it of its contents. He glanced up at her as he flipped through the bills, no doubt adding them in his head.

She looked up from her notebook and frowned as she considered the answer to that. "I'm not sure. I have to wait and see what the characters have to say."

Paul chuckled as he finished counting the money. He placed it in a bag and scribbled some information on the front. "When you figure it out, let me know."

Fiona nodded, resuming her hasty scribbling. "You got it!"

Just as Fiona was beginning to get lost in her new story, the chimes sounded, and she snapped to attention. She sighed as she saw Sloane Phillips walking toward her. _Maybe leaving in a few months won't be so bad after all..._

"Hi, Fiona."

The smile on his face caused her stomach to twist. It was a goofy grin that made his green eyes shine and caused more than a few girls to stare. _A look like that really should be illegal_. That smile was what made her agree to go out with him. He was just so damn _nice_ she hadn't been able to say no. That had been a mistake; he was clearly getting more serious about her than she liked. "Hi, Sloane. Did you need help finding anything?"

"No, I just came in to talk to you."

"Oh." She bit her lip and softened her tone. "Sloane, I'm working right now. Maybe we can talk a little later?" _How am I going to do this?_

He raised an eyebrow at her as he appeared to debate saying something. A moment passed, and he nodded instead. "No problem. Would it be all right if I stopped by when you get off?"

"Sure." _Why did I just say that?_ She gave him a weak smile.

"Great.... See you then." He leaned over the counter and gave her a small peck on the cheek before he turned and walked away.

_I'm in so much trouble..._ Before she could get too caught up in her thoughts, a young man approached, asking her to help him find a book. More customers filed in and out, quite a few of them needing her help. A distraction was exactly what she needed at the moment.

#  Chapter Two

_Okay, stay calm. No matter what he says, don't let yourself get distracted. You're leaving soon anyway—it's time to face reality._ Fiona stood outside the bookstore looking down at her watch. Her boss decided to close early, and she was both thankful and annoyed by it. The good thing was it gave her time to think about how to start the conversation that couldn't be avoided. The bad part was it gave her time to think about the conversation. The longer she stood there, the worse her nerves got. She paced back and forth across the front porch as she stole an occasional glance at her watch. _Okay, enough. You're acting like a head case._

She sat down on the wicker bench in front of the store and pulled out her notebook. Maybe she could distract herself some by working on that story again. She dug through the bag for her pen, her annoyance rising with each moment she failed to produce the object. _I really should organize this bag again._

Fiona chuckled. Her brain just didn't work that way, but she still tried. The last ten attempts to bring order to the black hole that was her bag failed, so why should she expect another attempt to work? She grinned as her hand closed around the comforting plastic. _Victory!_

The expression faded to a frown before she had a chance to put any words to paper. The loud roar of Sloane's engine echoed through the air, stopping her attempt cold. She tossed the pen back into the bag and stood. She gave a half-hearted wave as she approached the car.

Sloane got out and walked around to her side, glancing down at his watch. "Am I late?"

"No, Paul just decided to close early."

He frowned and opened the door for her. "Why didn't you call and let me know? I would've come early instead of making you sit there and wait all this time."

She shrugged before climbing into the passenger side. "It's no big deal. I got a chance to write a little more while I waited." _And avoid this a little longer..._

"If you're sure." He closed the door and walked around to his side. As he started the engine, he glanced over at her. "So what are you working on?"

"I don't really know yet. I just started it last night, so I'm still waiting for the characters to tell me what's going on."

He smirked at her, amusement coloring his words. "I still don't get how you do that. Any time they forced me to write something in school, I spent more time staring at a blank page than writing."

Fiona saw an opening and jumped at it. "Well, you're not going to have to worry about that anymore. I doubt creative writing is a big part of the whole pre-med thing." Now that she'd gotten the words out, her stomach fluttered as she anticipated his response.

He turned to look out the back window and backed up. As he steered the vehicle out of the lot, he nodded. "I guess not."

"So, did you decide on where you're going?"

Sloane braked at a stop sign and glanced both ways before easing the car forward. "Not yet. Hey, are you hungry at all? I could go for a burger right now."

Serious talk couldn't happen in a burger place, especially with a bunch of people sitting there. It would be humiliating for both of them. How could she tell him she'd rather be alone without giving him the wrong idea? On the other hand, being alone with him might not be the best idea, either. Potential witnesses might reduce her risk of distraction. "Sounds good to me."

"Cool." He signaled another turn as silence settled between them.

* * *

Neither one spoke until they arrived at the burger place, a fact that set her nerves on edge even further as she considered the idea he'd purposefully changed the subject. Fiona followed him inside and took her place in line. She twirled a strand of her hair as she glanced down at the floor and considered the possibility he already knew and was choosing to pretend otherwise.

Sloane gave her a gentle poke in the side as they approached the counter. "Want your usual?"

His voice snapped Fiona back to the present a moment, and she smiled sheepishly at the bored-looking woman standing behind the register. "Sure." The whole time they waited for the order, she planned out what to say. Fiona must've practiced at least a dozen ways to tell him it was over, but still didn't think anything sounded right. _Why can't you be more like Steve?_ Now, there was a guy it might be fun to let down. Not that the creep would care. Steve was the captain of the football team and a living example of the jock stereotype. Fiona couldn't remember the last time that guy bothered to pay attention to anyone not on the team or worshipping his prowess on the field. Guys like him were simple; he only cared about himself so you didn't have to worry about hurting their feelings—they'd just move on to the next cute thing in a short skirt without a second thought.

Sloane picked up their tray, and they scanned the place for a table. Fiona pointed at one in the corner that she thought was perfect. It was far enough out of the way to allow them to talk without being too private while also providing a buffer for the shouts of the workers calling out orders and the register drawers slamming. He followed her to the table and sat down across from her, handing her the burger she'd ordered.

"Thanks." She unwrapped the burger and took a bite, trying to psyche herself up. _It's now or never..._ "So, what was it we were talking about?"

He took a bite of his own food and washed it down with a swig of soda before answering, "Oh, right. We were talking about writing and the fact I can't do it."

She laughed. "That's right." She paused a minute, then let her eyes light up as if she'd just remembered. "Oh, yeah...we were also talking about going off to school. Can you believe we're gonna be leaving in a few months? I barely started packing yet, but it still feels weird to see some of my stuff in boxes."

"I'll bet." He swallowed some more soda and glanced at her. "Ya know, you're not going that far away."

"Across the state," she reminded him. "Several hours away...not that I mind. It's kind of exciting. For the first time in my life, I have absolutely no idea what next year is going to be like...what kind of people I'll be meeting." _Hint, hint..._

"True. I guess I haven't thought too much about it yet." He reached over the table and took her hand. "I've been having too much fun to worry about that."

She shifted in her seat as his hand touched hers. _Say it already_. Fiona wanted to tell him it was time to ease off, that she didn't believe in doing the long-distance thing. It was such a simple thing; why couldn't she get the words out? "I've been having fun too." _Why did I just say that?_ For some unknown reason, the look in his eyes caused her brain to reject logic. All Fiona knew was that it had to happen sooner or later. Preferably sooner.

#  Chapter Three

Fiona trudged toward the stairs, mentally fuming about her lack of courage. She liked the guy, but it became clearer by the day that this wasn't going to work. Still, he continued to have this strange hold over her that made it impossible to get the words out. _At this rate, I may as well wait until I leave and then stop writing him. It would probably work a lot better than this._ The second the words came to mind, a sinking sensation radiated through her stomach and caused her breath to hitch. _Okay, okay.... Point taken._ There was a way to deal with this situation, and avoidance wasn't it. She just had to figure out how to get past this block, whatever it was.

"Fiona, is that you?"

Her sister's voice carried through the house, causing Fiona to pause at the bottom of the staircase. "Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" She closed her eyes, listening for her sister's response.

"Shannon's on the phone for you."

She walked into the kitchen and, sure enough, she found Rebecca standing by the fridge with a receiver in her hand. "Thanks." Fiona took the receiver. "Shan? What's going on?" She couldn't help smiling as Rebecca turned her attention back to the fridge. She watched as her sister searched the full appliance, no doubt unable to choose a snack—it happened every afternoon.

"Please tell you me you didn't forget." A trace of annoyance colored her friend's words.

Fiona placed her hand over the mouthpiece and cursed under her breath as she turned away from the search playing out a couple feet away. Between the dreams, her paralysis with Sloane, and now this, Fiona was amazed she remembered to breathe each day. _Maybe I'm not getting enough caffeine._ "Of course I didn't."

"You _are_ going to the party tonight, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I just got home, so you guys can go ahead without me. I'll meet you later on." The fridge door slammed behind her, and Rebecca swept past carrying a bag of chips. Fiona frowned and hoped there'd be some left over later.

"Are you sure? We can always be fashionably late; maybe it'll make an impression on Steve."

"Yeah, right. Are you serious? That guy's never noticed anything not wearing a cheerleader outfit and holding a megaphone." She hated to be so blunt about it, but it was the truth. She and their friend Amy had been trying to get that message across since last year when he stood Shannon up for Homecoming. Sadly, Shannon didn't seem to care. As much as Fiona loved her friend, she seriously questioned her sanity sometimes.

"He's not that bad," Shannon argued. "Most people don't understand him; he's one of those complicated types."

That didn't sound like a ringing endorsement to her, but Fiona wasn't about to say so. She decided the best way to handle her friend's romantic life was to stay out of it. She was just in the middle of trying to devise a graceful way to change the subject when she was sent a savior: her mother. The woman struggled to open their back door while balancing several grocery bags in her arms. "Hey, Shannon... I have to go. My mom needs some help with the groceries. I promise I'll be there though."

"You'd better!"

Fiona laughed at the threatening tone in her friend's voice. "Promise." She hung up the phone and hurried to the door. She opened it and took some of the bags from her mom.

"Thanks, sweetie. Who was that on the phone?"

"Oh, it was just Shannon. She just wanted to make sure I'm going to that party tonight."

Her mother's eyes lit up at the mention of a party as she set her bags down on the counter and began putting boxes and cans in the cabinet. "That's good. Whose house is it at?"

"Jeremy's."

Her mother's face darkened as she closed the cabinet door. "I guess I should've known the answer to that."

Fiona could see the beginning of another rant on how spoiled and rude Jeremy was, so she put the last of the veggies in the fridge and closed the door before giving her mother a hug. "I better hurry or I'll be late. See you later!" She rushed out of the kitchen, retreating to the safety of her room.

As she started getting ready for the evening, a vague sense of dread began to creep into her stomach. It was similar to what she called her "gut check", but more intense. A part of her was terrified of going, and she couldn't figure out why. Her best friends were going and they always had a great time. Plus, it was at the home of one of the richest kids in town, who spared no expense showing everyone a good time. There was a strong possibility of live music and movies in the home's theater room—two of her favorite things. So why was a knot forming in her stomach just thinking about attending?

Fiona took a deep breath and willed the rising panic inside away. She almost laughed; it was so ridiculous. Why should she be afraid of going somewhere she'd been a million times before? Still, she wondered if this was such a good idea. Her gut hadn't failed her often, so she had no reason to think it would now. She shook her head. _This is stupid. What are you going to say—you're scared to go out?_ The worst that could happen was getting a minor headache from the noise of the band. She changed her clothes and went downstairs, calling out her goodbyes to her family before slipping out the front door.

Every step she took toward her car caused the knot in her stomach to grow larger. Fiona climbed inside, pausing to collect herself before starting the engine. She took one deep, cleansing breath after another and reminded herself it was just another party. Once her seatbelt was secured over her chest, she glanced down and was surprised to note her knuckles were white. "I'm turning into such a head case," she muttered as she started the car and pulled out of the driveway. 

#  Chapter Four

Hours later, Fiona wondered why she'd been so worried. Jeremy Richards's party turned out to be a hit, except for an awkward moment when Shannon tried to talk to Mr. Quarterback. He, as usual, didn't even notice she was there. It was a sad display, but she and Amy managed to get the poor girl's mind off the rejection. They made their way out to the pool in the backyard to hang out. The sounds of a local band mixed with laughter and chit-chat filled the air, while the smells of catered treats tempted Fiona's taste buds. She contemplated getting some sweets, but her full stomach protested with a painful twinge. Jeremy had made sure there was enough food on hand to prevent anyone from leaving his house without putting on about ten pounds, and she enjoyed every bite. She watched as some of the guests splashed in the pool, creating as much noise as the band. She was so engrossed in what was going on around her it took her a moment to register someone was talking to her. "I'm sorry?"

"I said 'how'd it go with Sloane?'" Amy's voice rose as she narrowed her eyes. She tucked a strand of short, frizzy blond hair behind her ear, showing off her tiger's eye earring—she never went anywhere without one of her many stones and gems.

"It didn't." Fiona bit her lip, averting her gaze. She and Amy had known each other as long as Fiona could remember, and sometimes Amy felt more like her older sister than her friend, especially when she got that tone in her voice.

"Fiona!" Shannon's long, black ponytail swayed as she shook her head, "are you kidding me? Why not?" She folded her long, slender arms over her new designer swimsuit.

Fiona cringed as she looked from one pair of accusing eyes to another. With their taller frames, the effect was even more unsettling. She felt like a small child with disapproving teachers glaring down at her. Despite the fact she'd only known Shannon for a few years now, the girl seemed to know her as well as Amy did and was even less shy about calling Fiona out when needed. "I know, I know. I really need to just break it off already. I just can't seem to do it, and I can't figure out why. It's like the guy put some kind of voodoo on me. Every time I try to do it, he gets this look in his eyes that makes me forget what I was going to say."

Fiona looked down at the water, cautiously dipping a toe into the liquid. Satisfied with the temperature, she submerged her whole foot. She sighed, moving it in a circular motion. _That is so weak..._

"Maybe you really don't want to."

Fiona turned her attention to Amy, her eyes wide. "You did not just say that."

Amy held her hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, I'm just suggesting a possibility here."

"Fair enough." Fiona glanced over at Shannon. "And what do you think?"

"I think if you two don't quiet down, you won't need to say a word about breaking up with him—one of them will overhear and beat you to it." Shannon nodded to the deep end of the pool.

Fiona followed Shannon's gaze and saw Jeremy and a small group of friends looking at them. She only let her eyes settle on them for a second before fixing her gaze elsewhere. She leaned closer to her friends, pretending to point out an odd-shaped cloud. "You're right. We'll talk about this later." The thought of Sloane hearing she wanted to break up through the rumor-mill instead of from her caused her skin to crawl. That group was worse than a Hollywood gossip rag.

* * *

The three friends spent the rest of the evening talking about what schools they were going to and what they wanted to study...much safer topics than Fiona's love life, or impending lack of one. Amy even managed to get Fiona to go all the way in the pool, much to Shannon's—and Fiona's—surprise.

Around midnight, Fiona climbed out of the pool and dried off. She yawned as she wrapped the towel around herself before rubbing her aching legs. She supposed that was what she got for letting them talk her into swimming even though she wasn't used to it. "Guys, I'm beat. Maybe we should go."

"Fine with me." Shannon followed suit and squeezed the water out of her hair. She glanced around, motioning to Amy. "Come on!"

"I'm coming...chill a minute." Amy climbed out and grabbed her own towel, drying herself off as much as possible.

As the small group made their way to the door, a familiar—and loud—voice carried through the yard. "Hey, wait up!"

Fiona turned around to see their host making his way through the crowd. She and her friends exchanged a curious look as they waited for him to catch up.

"You girls weren't going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?"

Fiona couldn't help smiling at that. "What are you talking about? We always do; you're too busy to notice most of the time."

"Well, I did this time. Actually...there is a reason I stopped you." His tone turned conspiratorial as he leaned closer to them.

Shannon smirked, her hands placed firmly on her hips and a knowing tone in her voice. "What do you want, Jer?"

Jeremy turned toward Shannon and gave her a nasty look. "And what makes you think I want anything?"

"Because you usually do," Amy chimed in.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, you got me. Fiona, it's actually you I wanted to talk to."

"Why me?" She crossed her arms and stood a bit taller, guilt rising inside as she remembered him and his buddies watching them talk earlier. Had he overheard after all?

"I want to introduce you to somebody." He held his hands up in a defensive posture. "I know what you're thinking, but I promise I didn't have anything to do with it. He saw you and he practically forced me to stop you. If I don't at least get him an introduction, he's never going to let me forget it."

"I don't know..." Fiona looked from Amy to Shannon, begging for an out with her eyes.

"What can it hurt, Fi? Just meet the guy." Amy glanced around the yard. "Where is he?"

_If she wasn't my best friend..._ Fiona knew when she was beat. She threw her hands up in surrender. "Okay, fine. I'll meet him, but that's it!" As soon as the words left her lips, a sinking feeling in her stomach hit her hard. Pressure built in her chest, and she was overcome with a yearning to get out of there as fast as possible. The only thing keeping her feet planted on the fresh-cut grass was the desire to avoid looking like a complete fool.

"Great! Wait here, I'll be right back." Jeremy turned and walked back to the small group Fiona had seen earlier.

Jeremy kneeled beside the pool and spoke to a guy Fiona didn't recognize. She tried to get a good look at him, but other party-goers standing in the way prevented her from getting a clear view. She turned toward her so-called friends and glared. "Thanks for the backup. I really appreciate it."

"Really, Fiona, you need to relax." Amy kept her voice low as she moved closer. "You know Jeremy; he's not going to ease up until you at least meet this mystery guy. Why fight it?"

Shannon nodded. "He's too stubborn for that. Besides, he's kind of cute."

Fiona turned around and watched as Jeremy and the guy he'd been talking to approached them. The closer they came, the more she could see. _Shannon's right..._ The guy was tall, with dark hair, and he walked with a grace she'd never seen out of a guy before. Confidence radiated from him, which Fiona couldn't help but appreciate.

"Fiona, this is my cousin Ted."

"Hi." He reached out to shake her hand, a smile on his face.

She'd never met this guy before; she was sure of it. Still, there was something familiar about him. As they shook hands, the sinking feeling in her stomach became a free-fall. "Hi," she managed to say through the panic building inside.

"Sorry if I'm holding you up right now, but I just had to meet you."

"It's okay," she assured him. She gestured to her friends. "They don't mind." Her cheeks flushed as she heard Shannon trying to suppress a giggle.

He smiled. "Good. Would you have a minute to talk then?"

"You bet!"

Fiona stood there in silent shock, unable to believe the words had come from Amy's lips. _She is going to pay for that later._ She forced herself to focus on Ted, allowing a smile to touch the corners of her lips. "That's a nice offer, but we really should get going."

"That's too bad..." He looked over at Jeremy a minute, raising an eyebrow at him before turning his attention back to Fiona. "Maybe some other time then."

"Right... I'll let you know."

Jeremy and Ted turned and walked away, leaving the girls alone. Fiona whirled around and hissed at Amy. "Thanks for answering for me."

"Sorry..." Amy shrugged. "It just came out. Seriously, though? I think he's cute. Plus, it's not like he asked you out or anything—he just wanted to talk. Even if he had, it's not like you haven't gone out with other guys before."

"Yeah, but not since prom." She didn't bother mentioning no one had asked. She figured people were too focused on their futures, far away from their small town, to bother.

"So, have you guys talked about that at all?" Shannon put her hands on her hips and waited for an answer.

"No," Fiona admitted. _It just sort of started happening..._

"So, there's no problem," Amy reasoned. "Or are you changing your mind?"

"I really don't know." Fiona turned and headed for the door. Before the girls entered the house, she looked over her shoulder to sneak another glimpse at Ted.

#  Chapter Five

"There was another one today, Maria. You need to be more cautious."

Maria started at the sound of her husband's voice. She'd barely walked in the door when he'd spoken, and she regarded him with a curious expression before closing it and setting down the small bag she carried. "Another what?" She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the change in lighting.

"Rosina was accused this morning—word is she poisoned someone. If you keep administering those cures, they're going to come for you too. I don't know if there is anything I can do to help you." He stepped in front of her, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"They did?" Her expression morphed from curiosity to horror as she pictured her friend being executed once they'd gotten a confession out of her. Maria straightened her back and hardened her tone. "There is no need to worry; I am careful."

He shook his head and sighed. "That may not be enough. More and more people are being accused by the day. How long do you think it will take until someone talks? Even if they know nothing, they would accuse anyone of anything to try and save themselves."

The witch hunts had been going on for a couple of years now in their small village, and they scared her. Already, she'd lost a couple of friends to the accusations. She hesitated a moment but refused to back down. She wasn't going to allow people to dictate to her. What did they know about what she did anyway? She'd helped so many people, and she was sure none of them would ever breathe a word of the cures she gave them. Not if they wanted to keep getting more. "I promise there is no need for concern."

"How do you know?" He threw his hands up in frustration and reached for her, his grip tight on her shoulders. "Think about it; these are dangerous times. Are you really willing to bet your life on that? I want you to stop."

She gasped and looked at him in horror as she pulled away. "You can't be serious? I could never... What I'm doing isn't a choice for me. It's a calling, and who am I to ignore what I'm being led to do? Ignoring the path laid out for me would be wrong."

"I hope you're right."

His expression told her he didn't quite believe that, but she didn't care. He'd see.

* * *

Fiona groaned as a shrill sound filled the air. She blinked a couple of times, slowly coming out of the dream. _The alarm clock_. She reached over and smacked the top a few times before managing to silence it.

She sat up and yawned, the images of her dreams fading faster with each moment of consciousness. Fiona opened the nightstand and pulled out her notebook, then scribbled in it as if her life depended on it. _Maybe it does_...

Where had that come from? She didn't know, but she couldn't deny the truth in those words. Her whole body was tingling with the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She closed her eyes a moment, struggling to remember as many details as possible. For the most part, only vague images and impressions had stuck with her.

The worst part was the tension between the two. This man, whatever-his-name-was, had been desperate to get the woman to listen to what he said. She doubted it worked—the woman seemed far too stubborn for that. Before Fiona could finish writing, the door opened. She looked up to see her sister standing in the doorway, arms crossed and foot tapping.

"What on earth are you doing? You're going to make us both late!"

Fiona glanced over at the clock she'd cursed earlier, and her eyes widened as she noted how much time had passed. "Sorry! I guess I got distracted. I'll be down in a couple of minutes."

"If you say so..."

Rebecca rolled her eyes as she walked in the room and grabbed her bag. Fiona rolled her eyes right back at her as she watched Rebecca shake her head and walk out the door.

_What is wrong with me_? She hopped out of bed, rushed to the closet, and then pulled out the first items of clothing she touched. She didn't bother to look as she dressed and stuffed her feet into a pair of sneakers. With her bag slung over her shoulder, Fiona opened the door. On the way downstairs, she pulled her long brown hair up into a messy bun. She'd look like a wreck today, but she couldn't worry about it now. There wasn't time for that.

Fiona ran into the kitchen and picked up her travel mug, filling it with coffee. That done, she opened the fridge and selected a banana before noticing she had company. "Morning!" she acknowledged her mother sitting at the table, a plate in front of her. "Becca, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. Bye!" Rebecca gave her mom a hug before hurrying out the door.

"See you later, Mom." Fiona hurried over to the table and did the same before turning to catch up with her sister. She didn't give her mother a chance to stop her; Fiona knew it would only lead to a longer conversation she didn't have time for today.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you are being completely spacey today."

Fiona squirmed under her sister's scrutiny as they made their way down the road. The concern in Rebecca's eyes made Fiona's stomach tighten as she used one hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had another weird dream last night, no big deal." Fiona smiled for her sister's benefit while signaling right. As they turned the corner, she hit a puddle from the early-morning rain storm she'd slept through. The grey-tinged sky only added to her unease over the nightly images. _Why won't they just go away?_

"Another one? That's happening a lot lately."

Fiona shrugged as they passed a group of kids splashing in a puddle. "I guess my muse is in overdrive right now. I seriously need more hours in the day to write all the ideas it keeps giving me." She forced a laugh as the argument began to play over again in her mind. Her blood boiled as she remembered the man's demands and Maria's refusal.

"You'd tell me if it was something else, right? I swear, I wouldn't tell Mom and Dad." As the car pulled to a stop, Rebecca reached over and touched her arm.

Fiona nodded, making a little cross over her heart with her fingers as she tried to sound reassuring. Cold dread spread through her body as she considered Rebecca ratting her out. How would she even begin to explain what was going through her mind? There really wasn't an explanation she could think of that didn't make her sound insane. Who got that worked up and angry over a few nightmares? She was acting as though these were real people. People she knew. "Yes, I promise. Now quit worrying and get out of here before I'm late." She poked her sister in the arm before switching the radio station. A cheesy pop song filled the vehicle, and Fiona focused her attention on it in an attempt to stifle the anger building inside.

"All right, all right." Rebecca held her hands up in surrender and reached for the door handle. "See you later." She got out of the car and walked up to her friend's door.

"Bye!" Fiona waved, waiting until Rebecca's friend opened the front door of the house. As soon as her sister was safely inside, Fiona pulled away from the curb with a heavy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. _It wasn't really a lie..._

#  Chapter Six

_Wow. Is it that late already?_ Fiona glanced up at the clock, wondering for a moment if it was wrong. _I guess time flies when you're swamped_. Fiona set a large leather-bound book on a shelf near the front of the store and smiled as she realized it was the last one. She dissembled the empty box and put it away before taking a seat on the small stool behind the cash register.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she'd missed lunch. Just as she was about to ask for a break, her boss poked his head out of the small storage room to the right.

"Fiona, why don't you go ahead and cut out early? It's almost the end of your shift anyway."

Fiona struggled to act casual as she stood, not wanting to show how desperate she was to get out of there. "Are you sure? I don't mind sticking it out." The rumble of hunger morphed into a twinge of guilt; the guy who'd be relieving her wouldn't be in for another hour.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. I'll see you on Monday."

She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "All right, then. Thanks." She walked out of the store, her thoughts consumed with where to get lunch. She walked out to the car and climbed in, pausing when she heard someone call her name. A glance in the direction it came from had her heart skipping a beat.

"Ted. Hi..." She got out of the vehicle, shutting the door behind her. "What's up?"

He shrugged. "Nothing, really. I was just passing by and saw you, so I thought I'd see if you'd changed your mind."

_Maybe I should've insisted on staying_... She was about to say no, but the night of the party ran through her mind. Her friends were right; she was free to go out with whoever she wanted. She couldn't deny he intrigued her, even while making her skin crawl. Despite the voice in her head screaming no, she considered his request. "Well, I was just about to get a late lunch."

He smiled and stood a little straighter. "Mind if I join you?"

Fiona's pulse pounded as she gave him the once-over as subtly as possible. _He is sort of cute...what the hell?_ "Sure."

* * *

Fiona ended up choosing a Chinese place just outside of town. She doubted anyone she knew would be there, especially at this time of day. The drive there was torture; she spent most of it hoping they wouldn't pass the wrong person. She spent the other part of the drive trying to fend off her growing anxiety over this stranger in her car. Sure, he was Jeremy's cousin, but she still couldn't help worrying. Her concern only got worse when she thought about her dreams, and she couldn't understand why.

As they walked inside, the tension eased from Fiona's body. The tables were filled with customers, the perfect setting for a date with a strange guy. Fiona shivered as she remembered all those "stranger-danger" warnings from when she was a kid. _And I have to let him back in my car later...I must've lost my mind._

They sat down, an awkward silence hanging over them while they waited their turn. Once the waiter took their order, Ted spoke. "So, do you come to this place a lot?"

"Not really."

He studied her a moment, his expression darkening some. "Oh."

Her cheeks heated as she noticed the tone in his voice. "I'm not trying to hide anything. Well, okay, I sort of am. It's just not what you might think."

"You mean I'm not going to have to worry about some jealous boyfriend coming after me?" He raised an eyebrow at her as he leaned forward.

Her face heated at his insinuation and the feel of his breath brushing her skin. "I can see whoever I want, I'd just rather he hear about it from me instead of someone else."

He nodded. "I understand. So, Jeremy was saying you're a writer."

She nearly choked on her water and had to take a minute to collect herself enough to speak. "Are you kidding me? I didn't think he bothered paying attention to anything like that, much less bothering to tell people about it."

"What can I say? The guy's full of surprises."

She smiled. "Yeah, I guess he is. He's right, I'm thinking of majoring in literature in the fall."

"Where are you going?" He reached for his own glass and took a sip.

"Lockhart. It's a few hours from here."

He paused, his cup only inches from the table. "What was that?"

"Lockhart...why?"

"You're not going to believe this, but that's where I'm going to go. That's why I'm here now."

A light-headed feeling overtook Fiona, and she had to grab onto the edge of the table to keep steady in her seat. Gooseflesh rose on her arm as her hand started to shake slightly. She tightened her grip on the wooden surface in an attempt to control the reaction.

"Fiona? Are you all right?"

"What? Oh...sorry." She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Too many strange thoughts were starting to take root, and she didn't want to get ahead of herself. "I'm all right, just surprised. When you said you were here for the break, I just assumed you were going back to wherever you came from."

"Crazy, isn't it? What a coincidence."

"I don't really believe in those..." The second the words were out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back. How could she say something like that?

"You don't? Why not?"

Fiona could see she had his full attention now. His eyes bored into her, as if he were trying to read her mind. The thought was both comforting and unnerving. She glanced down at her plate, picking at her General Tso. "I um... I've usually found there's a meaning behind it when stuff like that happens to me. It might not be obvious right away, but I figure it out eventually."

"And what does it usually tell you?" He moved closer, sending a chill through her.

Fiona looked up, not sure if that feeling was a good thing or a bad thing. She shrugged. "It all depends. Sometimes, it's good. Other times, it's bad."

"How do you tell the difference?" He reached for his fork and took a bite of fried dumpling.

Why did she open up this line of conversation? She'd sound like the biggest freak, and for some reason, that bothered her. What should it matter what this guy thought? They may be going to the same school, but it was a big campus. She could avoid him if she wanted to. She decided to go with the truth. "I listen to my gut."

He sipped some water to wash his food down. "Really? So you believe in that kind of thing?

She nodded. "Yes. Does that weird you out?"

He shook his head and reached over to brush away some hair that had escaped her ponytail. "Not at all."

#  Chapter Seven

Fiona stood in a modest-looking home, watching a young woman pace while fussing with the afghan around her shoulders. She was tall, with black hair cut in one of those bobs Fiona had seen in silent movies and history class. The woman was dressed as a flapper, and Fiona couldn't help but focus on the long pearl necklace around the woman's neck and the black hat that almost covered her ears.

The woman's name was Alice Rose—she liked going by both her first and middle name for reasons Fiona didn't understand. Fiona watched as Alice Rose sat down at the kitchen table and picked up a fountain pen. The young flapper wrote furiously, stopping once in a while to use the blotting paper a few inches away.

Fiona glanced around, trying to find something that would give her a sense of where the dream was taking place. Her eyes settled on a piece of mail on the coffee table addressed to an Alice Rose Cooper. It listed her address as being in Shaker Heights, Ohio. An older woman Fiona assumed was the flapper's mother walked into the room and began pulling various ingredients out of the kitchen cabinets. The woman set them on the countertop and began rummaging through the pots and pans on the shelf below.

Her letter finished, Alice Rose used the blotting paper on it and hastily put it away. Fiona watched her walk into the living room and sit down, picking up a half-finished scarf from a basket. She began knitting, her brow furrowed in concentration. Fiona sensed the girl wanted to get the scarf done quickly—presumably due to the chill in the air. Looking out the window, she noticed the leaves had turned. Fall was here, and winter couldn't be too far away. She watched a woman outside working on her garden while a man repaired the fence in front. She left Alice Rose to her task, stepping outside and looking up and down the street. The suburb had gardens everywhere, and most people were busy with something—they clearly valued work, and Fiona assumed that had something to do with Alice Rose's devotion to the task before her. By the time Fiona stepped back inside, the mother had joined Alice Rose in the living room, working on a different project.

Fiona went back inside Alice Rose's home and thought about the letter she'd seen the girl write. The words had been of a deeply religious nature and referred to someone named Mother Ann. Fiona turned her attention back to the flapper girl and her mother as the door opened.

A man not much taller than Alice Rose walked in. His hair was even darker than Alice Rose's. Fiona could tell by his dress and physical build that he worked with his hands; his eyes also betrayed the strain of a life of hard work. He, like the other man she'd seen in her dreams, had a familiar presence to him. As she looked from one to the other, she could almost see herself and Ted superimposed over the two. Fiona focused on trying to read their thoughts—the man had been invited over for dinner that evening, and Alice Rose's father would be home soon to join them. As Fiona continued to probe the other girl's mind, she understood that it was tradition here for the men and women to be supervised when socializing. She also could see how stifling Alice Rose found that.

"Hello, Charles," the older woman greeted. "How was the harvest today?"

"Wonderful, the crops should be ready any day now."

"Splendid," she replied.

Fiona could sense the discomfort in the flapper's demeanor as the two spoke, and she decided to focus her attention on Alice Rose, try to get a sense of what was going on. As she did, she could feel herself being pulled inside Alice Rose. She could hear Alice Rose's thoughts, and her eyes widened in surprise. The flapper was hiding something all right!

It hadn't been easy, what with the watchful eye of her family on her often. Still, Alice Rose managed to stash away provisions in a secret hiding place that would help her on a journey out of the tight-knit community she'd been living in ever since her parents adopted her. She'd grown bored and restless with the rules she'd lived by for the past two decades—she wanted a different kind of life. Now that she was twenty-one, she was ready to follow her people's tradition and make a choice: declare her independence and renounce the religion and community she'd grown up in, or stay and keep doing the same old thing day after day. She knew it wouldn't be easy—Charles and her parents would be terribly disappointed in her—but as far as Alice Rose was concerned, there was no other choice for her to make.

* * *

Fiona opened her eyes and looked at the clock through hazy vision. Seeing she had another hour before her alarm went off, she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. The dream confused her—it was different from the others she'd had over the past couple of weeks.

For once, a different woman took center-stage in her mind. Fiona struggled to understand why—these dreams were nothing like the material she was writing. Besides that, she'd been an observer this time. At the same time, she'd felt no real separation between her and the woman she'd been watching. What was her subconscious trying to say? She closed her eyes, taking short, cleansing breaths. Her attention focused inward as she asked herself a question.

_Is someone trying to tell me something?_ A vague sense of warmth spread through her stomach and traveled upward.

She paused as the sensation wrapped around her like a blanket, calming her nerves. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. _Okay, is this someone I know?_ Fiona frowned as the sensation stuck with her, only not as intense as it had been. Shouldn't it be a more clear-cut answer? Fiona thought a moment, remembering all the books she'd read over the last few years at Amy's insistence. Granted, some of the stuff sounded _out there,_ but Fiona felt the truth behind a lot of it. Maybe the question was too open-ended for this kind of thing.

_Alice Rose..._ The name ran through her mind like an overplayed song on the radio. The name reverberated through her body, shaking her to her core.

The soft glow of the early-morning light struggling to break through the curtains guided Fiona as she stood and pulled her laptop out of its case. Her skin prickled as she settled into her desk chair and turned the computer on. Funny—every time she didn't care how fast it worked, the thing fired up instantly. If she needed it to work fast, it put a snail to shame. The status bar mocked her as she tapped her foot on the floor.

Just as she was contemplating how bad it would be to just toss the computer out the window, the desktop opened and she flinched at the sudden brightness. Fiona selected the Internet icon and took a breath before typing Alice Rose Cooper into a search engine. She bit her lip as she waited, half dreading what she might find. She hoped there wouldn't be any obits for her listed; the last thing she felt like doing was having more images like that in her mind.

Within seconds, a list of results appeared on her screen. She scanned them, opening a few that looked promising in new tabs. She went through each one, closing a few that turned out to be nothing useful and replacing them with others on the list. Fiona was beginning to think she should give up when she reached a document on the third page. It was from one of those sites where one could trace their family tree.

It listed an Alice Rose in Shaker Heights. Fiona gasped when she saw the address matched the one she'd noticed on the envelope in her dream. There wasn't much else. It showed she lived at the address with her parents. She kept scanning the site, finding a few pages talking about her and her family, what her father had done for a living. The family had been well liked and one of the richest in town. The last mention of Alice Rose was about her disappearing one night.

Fiona searched for the next couple of hours, but there was nothing to explain where Alice might have gone or what happened to her. It left Fiona feeling sad; it was like the woman had been wiped out of existence the night she left. The thought was disturbing. Had something happened to her?

Fiona decided she'd had enough of digging into the past for the moment. She shut down the computer and put it back in its bag, willing away the worries that began to take root in her mind.

#  Chapter Eight

_You did nothing wrong, you know this. You can go out with whoever you want._ Fiona repeated the words like a mantra as she got ready for Sloane's arrival. Her hands brushed away an imaginary speck of lint on her shirt as she looked around the room for her phone. _Where is it?_

A buzzing sound across the room caught her attention, causing her to jump. She walked over to the desk she'd already checked five times and saw the phone's screen flashing with a text notification. Seeing it was just a junk message, she hit the delete button and stuffed the phone into her jeans' pocket.

"Fiona! Sloane's here!"

Fiona's eyes strayed to her bedroom door as her father's voice carried upstairs. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her bag. "I'll be right down!" She knew what she had to do tonight, and despite everything she'd told herself, she was worried he wouldn't take the news she'd been out with Ted well.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Fiona was seated beside Sloane in his car. She watched the scenery go by while she tried to figure out the best way to start the conversation.

"You okay?"

Fiona turned her attention back to Sloane, a smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"I don't know...you just seem a little off tonight."

Was she that obvious? Fiona thought she'd been doing a decent job of acting casual. She considered his question a moment before deciding to get right to the point. "I'm okay. There's something I need to tell you though."

"What's that?" He glanced over at her a moment before focusing his gaze back on the road.

"It's nothing major. I just wanted to let you know before you heard it from someone else." She paused a moment before continuing, "You know Jeremy's cousin?"

He glanced back at her and nodded. "Yeah, I heard he was staying here. What about him?" He turned his attention back to the road, signaling for a lane change before maneuvering the car to the right.

"Well...he asked me to have lunch with him the other day."

Sloane pulled the car over on the side of the road and put it into park, his movements slightly jerky. Her heart pinged along with the pebbles scattering under the tires as the vehicle came to a stop. He sat in silence a moment before turning to look at her. "Did you?"

The move surprised her, although she supposed it shouldn't have. Hadn't she been worried about this before she left? "Yes."

The word hung in the air between them as he sat in silence, processing what she'd said. "Oh."

His voice was so quiet she almost didn't hear him. The look in his eyes made her stomach twist in knots. "You've gone out with other people before," she reminded him. "We both have."

"I haven't gone out with anyone but you in months. I haven't wanted to."

She didn't know a few simple words could cause so much pain. It was like he'd just stabbed her in the gut. "I'm sorry." Fiona supposed she deserved that. Hadn't she said the same thing to her friends the other night, minus the not-wanting-to see-anyone-else part?

"Are you going out with him again?"

A chill ran through her entire body as she processed the question. Would she? Did she even want to? _Yes._ The simple word caused a panic to rise within her while also filling her with anticipation. "I don't know."

He leaned back in his seat and looked up at the roof. "What if I asked you not to?"

"Sloane..."

He turned to face her again. "Just hear me out a minute. I'm not stupid; I know what you were getting at before when you kept bringing up going away to school. You think we should stop seeing each other."

Fiona looked down, shifting in her seat as she bit her lip. She opened her mouth to speak, but her vocal cords wouldn't cooperate. Instead, she nodded her answer.

"Is it because of the long-distance thing?"

"It's part of it."

"Only part?" He tilted his head, studying her face.

Fiona fidgeted under his scrutiny as she wrung her hands. She wished he didn't know her so well as she took a deep breath and forced the words out. "I don't know if I'm cut out for the whole relationship thing. You should know that by now. I just...don't feel comfortable with it."

"Would you at least think about it? That's all I'm asking."

Fiona looked up at him, staring him straight in the eye. "That's it? You just want me to think about it?"

He nodded. "I promise. I'll even take you back home now, if that's what you want."

Fiona considered what he'd said. She really didn't feel like going straight home again—her sister would be questioning her all night. That was the last thing she needed at the moment. Maybe he was right, and she should give him a chance. She supposed keeping their date was a good start. "It's okay. You don't have to take me right home, as long as you're okay with keeping things the way they are for now. Just while I think about things."

"If that's what you really want, it's fine with me."

The issue settled, Sloane shifted the car into drive and merged back onto the road. Fiona couldn't help wondering if this was a huge mistake, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. She'd already promised to think about it; she could hardly back out this fast. As they drove down the road, Fiona was struck with a strange sense of déjà vu. She'd never been in a situation like this before—not even close. She'd done everything possible to avoid this type of thing. Fiona almost laughed as she considered what her friends would say if they knew. _They'd probably think I've lost my mind. Maybe I have..._ She'd have to figure out things without their input.

#  Chapter Nine

Golden rays peeked through the treetops as Fiona ran down the sidewalk. The sound of chirping birds battled with the music coming through her headphones for her attention. She took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the moist air and the feel of her feet pounding on the hard cement. Every step she ran helped ease the tension from her shoulders.

As she neared the park, Fiona checked to make sure the road was clear before running across and making her way to the track. Now under the shade of trees, her breathing eased. She wiped some sweat from her forehead, delighting in the change in temperature.

As she ran, she thought about her conversation with Sloane. Fiona had to admit she'd had a great time the other night. A smile crossed her features as she remembered him passing by the normal hangouts to take her somewhere new. He was putting forth a great effort. Despite all that, Ted hadn't been far from her mind. It was like the harder Sloane tried, the more she found herself moving in the other direction. What she didn't understand was why.

_Maybe I'm just a head case._ Fiona suppressed a giggle as she thought of what her friends might say if they knew what was going through her mind. Amy would no doubt point out Fiona's conflicted state should be a clear hint to move on to someone new, a thought that made her stomach knot up. _Not much of a help_ , she mused as the track wound back to where she'd started. The dreams weren't helping her nerves either. Each one felt so real she couldn't help but consider the possibility they were.

The very idea sent shivers up her spine, especially when she thought about the one in which that girl Maria burned. Even now, she could feel every bit of terror and pain the girl in her dream experienced, her skin prickled as she remembered the heat of the fire, and her wrists ached from the memory of the ropes binding her. Fiona took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of the images. She veered off the track and slowed her pace as she approached a bench. She sat down and gazed up at the sky as a gentle breeze brushed her skin. As much as her conscious mind protested the idea, she knew there was a purpose to these dreams, and she had to figure out what they were saying, no matter how much she feared the answer.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

Fiona almost fell out of her seat as a voice invaded her thoughts. A pair of steady hands grabbed her arm, keeping her from an embarrassing tumble.

"I'm sorry—I didn't mean to startle you. Are you okay?"

Fiona glanced up and swallowed when she saw who it was. "Ted! Hi. Sure... I was thinking about something, and I guess I just spaced."

"Nothing serious, I hope." He took a seat beside her and looked into her eyes.

She laughed off his concern. "No, just some dream I had. It's no big deal." Her face flushed as she realized he was still holding her arm, although his grip was much lighter than it had been a moment before. Something about his touch felt so familiar, but she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not. Her mind was screaming at her to ask him to let go of her, but she couldn't bring herself to voice the words.

"Must have been one hell of a dream. You look spooked." His eyes locked on hers, making her squirm.

She smiled, waving off the remark with her free arm. Fiona couldn't help the feeling he was seeing right through her, down to her very soul. The idea wasn't exactly comforting. "That's a writer's mind for you. So, um...what are you doing out here this early?"

"Just out for a run. Looks like you were too."

The coincidence should've made her suspicious, she knew that, but she was getting used to it. Fiona decided to take it as another sign instead. What that sign was pointing to, she had no idea. "Yeah, it helps clear my head. You run a lot?" Relief and disappointment filled her as he finally let go of her.

"Yeah, I used to be on my school's track team."

"That's cool. Are you gonna try out next year?"

He shook his head. "No. I like running, but I'm not into competing anymore. It gets old fast."

Fiona nodded. "I guess I see what you mean. I'm not a huge fan of crowds."

He glanced down at the ground a moment, and Fiona felt a tingling sensation. Something she'd said struck a nerve in him, but she couldn't figure out what. The idea of asking him what was wrong crossed her mind, but she knew with a certainty beyond her understanding he wouldn't, or couldn't, answer that.

An awkward silence settled between them as both got lost in their own thoughts. Ted checked his watch and then stood. "I'd better be going." He paused a moment before adding, "I had fun the other day at lunch. Think you'd want to do it again sometime?"

Fiona stood as well, gathering her stuff in her hands, using the time to compose herself and school her features. Despite her apprehension, she nodded. "Sure, sounds fun."

"Great. How's tonight work for you? I could come by at eight."

Fiona hesitated before answering. Ever since he'd sat down, her mind hadn't been functioning properly. Did she have any other plans later on? No, not unless she counted sitting around and watching movies with her sister. "Yeah, that'll be fine."

He smiled. "Good. See you then."

"Bye." Fiona watched him walk away. As soon as he disappeared from her line of vision, she turned and headed back to her house. She hoped Sloane wouldn't try and call later. Fiona had a feeling that despite what he'd said, he wouldn't be happy about this.

#  Chapter Ten

Fiona felt as though she'd been transported back to freshman year again as she got ready for Ted's arrival. Clothes flew across the room as she searched her closet for something to wear. Nothing seemed right to her. Fiona finally settled on one of the few skirts she owned, wondering why she was so worried about how she looked. She paired the long, flowing black skirt with a light blue V-neck tee and some matching sandals. She had just finished pulling her curls into a bun when her sister's voice sounded behind her, "Dude, since when do you make this huge a mess? You must be totally freaking out right now."

Fiona spun around and glared at her sibling. "I'm not freaking out. I'm perfectly calm." She walked over to the mirror to check her reflection for what had to be the billionth time. As she brushed some imaginary lint off her shirt, she examined her hair. "Ugh..." She freed it from the clip and reached for her brush.

Rebecca giggled. "Sure you are."

"Was there something you wanted, or are you just trying to torture me?"

Her sister took a deep breath to calm her giggles. "Yeah. Ted just got here.... He's waiting downstairs."

The brush clattered to the dresser top as Fiona whirled around to face her sister, wincing in embarrassment when her voice caught. "H-he is?"

"Yeah. He's freaking hot—does he have a younger brother for me?"

Fiona picked the brush up with the intention of running it through her locks yet again but then set it back on the dresser, more gently this time. "I don't think so."

"Too bad." She walked past Fiona to flop down on the bed. Distracted by the magazine lying in front of her, Rebecca began to flip through the pages, offering Fiona a momentary reprieve from the interrogation.

Fiona shook her head and headed for the door. "See you later," she called over her shoulder as she grabbed her purse and left the room. Once safely out of her sister's view, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _Okay, get over it. There is no reason to be nervous..._

* * *

After an awkward meeting with her parents, they were on the road. "So where are we going?" She glanced over at him, curious to hear what he had planned. "I hope what I'm wearing is okay."

"You're fine," he assured her. "It's a surprise."

Fiona didn't like being surprised, but she appreciated when people took the time to try. She smiled, injecting some enthusiasm into her voice. "Great!"

"Why don't I believe that?"

How did this guy know her so well? They'd only spoken for a short time, and already he could read her mind. It made her fidget in discomfort—she wasn't used to that from someone she barely knew. Since he'd called her out, she couldn't help but be honest. "Okay, I admit it: I'm not a huge fan of surprises."

He switched lanes, preparing for a right turn. "I'll give you a couple hints: It's not in town and it's quiet. Trust me, you'll like it."

She relaxed into her seat as her mind began to run through the possibilities. "That's pretty vague." There was a drive-in theater just outside of town—maybe that's what he had in mind. Then again, this was Jeremy's cousin, so the jock had probably directed him to every club in town. She suppressed the urge to shudder as she considered that possibility—she hoped his side of the family was a little more down-to-earth than that.

"Just trying to keep you on your toes," he joked, signaling another turn. This time, they went onto the freeway, and before she knew it, they arrived at a park. There were a couple of men fishing several hundred feet to their left and a few kids playing tag in the grass with a woman watching them. Other than that, the place was pretty quiet. "How'd you find this place?" she asked as she took in the scene before her. She turned her head to face him, and he leaned closer, locking eyes with her. He was so close he could kiss her right now if he wanted to. The idea sent a flutter of anticipation, or dread—she wasn't sure which—to her belly.

"I had to go into town for my aunt and came across it. I thought this would be a good place to hang out."

"I like it, but I don't see any benches for us." She pulled back a little and cleared her throat, swallowing the lump that was forming. This was a far more private and intimate setting than she'd anticipated. She smiled as she wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and waited for him to answer.

He smiled. "I came prepared for that." He unlatched his seatbelt and opened the door, climbing out while motioning for her to follow. She climbed out of the car and followed him, too distracted by his proximity to notice that he'd popped the latch while they talked. After a moment, he cleared his throat and motioned to the trunk. She snapped out of it and turned her attention back to the car.

Inside was a blanket and a cooler. Ted picked them up and closed the trunk before pointing off to the distance. "How about over there?"

"Looks good," Fiona agreed. For a moment, she considered offering to carry something, but he didn't appear to need or want any assistance. _One point in his favor..._ He led her away from the small crowd and stopped by a tree, where he spread the blanket on the ground and placed the cooler off to the side.

"After you." He motioned for her to sit.

Fiona eased herself onto the blanket, sitting with her legs bent underneath her while Ted sat Indian-style beside her, his body only inches from hers. The closeness filled her with a sense of warmth while also setting her nerves on edge. She pictured him reaching out to touch her cheek and shivered a little.

"This is nice." She looked toward the water, watching a duck and its young swimming to the opposite end. "I might need to re-think the whole surprise thing."

A deep laugh rose up from his throat. "Good." He opened the cooler, pulled out a soda, and then offered it to her.

After accepting the cold can and flicking water droplets off the top to open the tab, Fiona took a sip of the drink, allowing the fizzy liquid to soothe her dry throat. She set the can down and nodded to the cooler. "So, what else have you got in there?"

"Just some sandwiches and stuff like that. Something told me you'd like a picnic."

She laughed in disbelief. _This guy is really something._ She studied his face a moment before asking in a suspicious tone, "Are you psychic or something? You're pretty good at reading me." It didn't seem possible a strange man could know her that well or inspire the excitement and dread he stirred in her. Fiona barely breathed as she waited for his response, a tingling sensation flowing throughout her entire body.

"Something like that..." His expression turned serious a minute, and his eyes locked on hers.

She felt her breath catch, surprised by the tone in his voice. "Is that a joke?"

"Would it weird you out if I said no?"

His words weighed heavy on her mind. It was another coincidence in what was becoming a long list of them. She struggled to answer. "Are you sure you're not just messing with me?"

"I'm completely serious. I've got great instincts."

She couldn't resist asking, "So what do your instincts say about me?"

"That I had to get to know you." He said it without a hint of hesitation. When she didn't respond right away, he reached out and gently brushed her hand. "You okay?"

Fiona couldn't breathe for a moment as his skin came into contact with hers. She couldn't get over how familiar it felt, how comfortable. "Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"That you seemed familiar somehow." Fiona surprised herself with her answer. She hadn't planned on saying anything that even remotely hinted at her dreams—not to him, not to anyone.

He smiled and took her hand in his. The feeling of familiarity only increased as his hand tightened around hers, along with a slight sense of discomfort in her stomach she couldn't place. Was it just nerves? Guilt over Sloane? A warning? Whatever it was, she didn't want to think about it at the moment. His hand was rough but not too rough. At the same time, his touch was light and inviting. Never before had holding a guy's hand felt so...right. They sat talking for hours, watching the moon rise in the sky. Finally, a yawn escaped her lips, and Ted suggested it was time to call it a night. She couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment, along with a sense of relief. There was something about his presence and the tone of their conversation that disturbed her. It was too...natural. Too easy.

* * *

He pulled up outside her house and walked her to the door. She was glad to see the house was dark as they stood on the porch. She wasn't in the mood for an interrogation from Rebecca at the moment. Fiona had no idea what she'd say about the date; she was still trying to get her thoughts clear in her own mind. "Sorry about having to call it a night so soon. It's been a long day."

"No problem. Wouldn't want to wear you out too bad the first time I take you out..."

_The first time I take you out..._ His bold words hung in the air between them as she fidgeted. Maybe he did have a touch of his cousin's arrogance. Then again, maybe he was just reading her mind once more. She couldn't help but hope he'd ask again.

"I had a great time tonight."

"So did I..." He hesitated a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "So, what are the chances of me seeing you again?"

"I'd say they're pretty good..."

He reached out and took her hand, drawing her closer. They stood only inches apart, looking into each other's eyes. He leaned in, his lips meeting hers, and the world stopped for a minute. "How about now?"

The chills that ran through her were more than just the excitement of a first kiss. Images of her recent dreams flooded her consciousness, and there wasn't a doubt in her mind. She did know him, and she didn't care how. "I'd say they just got upgraded to excellent."

#  Chapter Eleven

"I don't know about this, Amy..." The following afternoon, Fiona and her friend were standing outside of a building with the words _Psychic Reader_ printed on the doorway. Despite what she'd thought about Ted last night, her mind changed in the light of day. It somehow made the unexplainable seem far more unlikely. Amy knew Fiona was struggling with something she didn't want to talk about, so she insisted on a trip to one of her favorite shops.

"Oh, come on! We already drove all this way. Why not check it out? Are you afraid of what you might hear?"

Her friend's words were harsh, but Fiona couldn't deny the truth in them. She was afraid this person was going to confirm every suspicion that had echoed in her mind since the dreams started. It was a terrifying prospect, that at least some of the dreams she'd had recently were real. The very idea she'd been in this world more than once flew in the face of everything she'd ever learned as a kid in Sunday school and was a bit intimidating, despite her openness to the strange things her friend loved. Coincidences and strong intuition were one thing; hard proof was another entirely. If she'd been known by other names and had other faces before, who was she really? Why was she here and would she suffer the fate her former selves had? She didn't want to admit to being scared though, so she stood up a little straighter and took on a defiant tone. "I'm not scared."

"Good," Amy replied, nodding at the door. "Then lead the way."

Fiona marched to the door and entered the shop, heading directly for the counter. The bright and spacious store reeked of various types of incense and candles, but somehow the smell wasn't offensive. If anything, it put her at ease just a little. She stopped in front of a small wooden desk housing a variety of crystals and bottles filled with liquid.

"May I help you?" A kindly older man with a soft voice stood before her. He reminded her a bit of Santa Claus; he had the long white beard and a sparkle in his eyes.

"My friend's here for a reading," Amy answered from behind her.

Clearly her friend didn't want to give Fiona even a second to back out. She was torn between wanting to thank her or kill her.

"Ah," the old man responded, "wait here a moment and I'll see if Beatrice is available." He disappeared behind the door, returning moments later with a young woman that was not at all what Fiona expected. Years of movies and TV shows featuring fortune tellers had conditioned her to expect an older woman with a turban on her head and flashy clothing. Instead, she wore a simple pair of jeans and a button-down fitted pink shirt. On her feet was a pair of old sneakers, and her hair was held in a bun with a small pink clip.

"Hello." She zeroed in on Fiona, studying her in silence a moment before saying anything further. "Follow me."

Fiona nodded and looked back for her friend. Amy was already busy checking out all the store had to offer; she probably wouldn't even notice Fiona had left. She turned back to Beatrice and followed her into the back room. To Fiona's surprise, there wasn't a table with a crystal ball inside. Instead, there was a small couch with a coffee table in front of it. The room was bright with some crystals hanging in the windows and from the ceiling. Fiona thought she recognized amethyst, her birthstone. She didn't know what significance the jewels had and decided not to ask. The woman took a seat on the couch and waited for Fiona to sit down as well before saying anything.

"You've been having disturbing dreams."

The woman said it so matter-of-factly it took Fiona by surprise. She wondered if Amy had told someone in advance why they were coming. Fiona nodded, determined not to say much while here. She wanted to see how much this woman would come up with without any input from her.

Beatrice closed her eyes a second, appearing to listen to someone before saying, "I see fire and someone tied to a post. No wonder you've always been scared of flames."

Fiona fought hard not to react physically and give Beatrice confirmation, but inside she was having a mini panic attack. _How on earth does she know that?_

"Let go of that; it's not doing you any good. There's no reason for you to worry about that anyway." The reader's eyes closed a minute before she continued, "I see you sitting at a table. You're writing a letter, one that is going to change everything once it's found."

"That was just a dream I had." How did the woman know this? Fiona's heart was pounding so hard she wouldn't be surprised if Beatrice was able to hear it.

The reader shook her head. "You were seeing your past."

"You're kidding, right?" Fiona was still trying to hang on to any hope that all of this was only in her head.

"I never kid in a reading, Fiona. I'm telling you exactly what I see."

Fiona almost fell out of her seat at the use of her name. Since the woman had started talking as soon as they sat down, she hadn't had the chance to introduce herself. "How'd you know my name?"

Beatrice smiled; obviously she'd been trying to make a statement by putting the young girl's name out there. "I just do. Just like I know that these dreams you're having are real and they're not going to stop. At least, not yet."

"So what can I do to get rid of them? They're kind of making me crazy right now."

The reader shook her head. "You're not supposed to make them go away. The dreams are coming for a reason, and you've got to figure out what they're trying to tell you."

"Isn't that why I'm coming to you?" Fiona couldn't believe that the woman could know this much and wasn't able to tell more.

"You want me to give you an easy answer to make it all go away, but life just doesn't work that way. People, situations...they come into our lives for a purpose. It's our job to learn from these things. I can point you in a direction, but you've got to learn the lesson yourself."

Well, that felt like a real gyp. She'd been hoping to get answers and now she was getting told to find them herself? What good was the psychic then? Wasn't that what she was here for?

"Here, I have something for you." The reader opened the little drawer and pulled a stone out. It looked like the ones hanging all over the room.

Fiona accepted the stone, turning it over in her hands. "What's this for?"

"That's an amethyst. You can either wear it on a chain or carry it in your pocket. It's got several properties, but the one you want to focus on is enhancing intuition and psychic power."

"Are you serious? I'm so far from psychic I'm not even on the same continent."

Once again, the woman shook her head, and a smile spread across her face. "That's not true, and you know that. There's a strong intuitive side to you, and you can make it even stronger if you work more at it."

Fiona opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself. The woman was uncannily accurate, and they both knew it. It was time to start dealing with whatever was going on. Maybe she'd get some peace.

Fiona thanked the woman for her time and returned to the main room of the shop where she found Amy browsing the tarot cards.

"How'd it go?"

Fiona took her friend's arm and led her to the front door. "It went. Come on, let's get out of here."

#  Chapter Twelve

Fiona sat on the floor of the bookstore's storage room, sorting through a pile of new arrivals. She yawned and placed one of the books in the center pile as she tried not to think about the dream she'd had the night before.

It was as if going to see that reader the other day opened up a floodgate. She'd been having dreams ever since, and it was beginning to wear her down. Fiona blinked to clear her vision as she tried to focus on the title of the book in her hand. _That's it._ She slammed the book she'd been holding on top of its proper stack. There was only one thing to do now. No matter how much it scared her, she was going to have to quit stalling and get the answers she needed.

_As soon as I get out of here, I'm going to do it._ A shiver ran through her as soon as she thought about continuing with her search, but she didn't care. It was either face whatever it was she was so scared of or go insane. Fiona took a deep breath, feeling a small burst of energy return. The sensation was freeing, and she almost couldn't wait to go home.

When she had nearly finished sorting the piles, the door to the storeroom opened. "Fiona? Sloane's out there waiting for you. Why don't you go ahead and take a break?"

_Damn._ Fiona smiled as she stood and brushed off her jeans. "Thanks." She supposed this is what she got for being too chicken to ask him to keep his distance while she thought things through.

She walked into the main room and spotted Sloane browsing one of the shelves. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

He turned around and walked over to her, giving her a hug when he reached her. "I just wanted to see if I could talk you into going somewhere later on. Maybe a movie?"

Fiona frowned as he hugged her, feeling as though she were being suffocated. She knew she promised she'd think about what he'd said, but she still wasn't sure what her answer was going to be. Plus, there was something else she needed to do that night. "I'm sorry... I kind of have plans already." She could see the question forming in his mind, so she added, "I've got some stuff to take care of at home."

"Ah. Maybe another time?"

"Sure. I'll call you." Fiona hoped her choice of words registered with him.

He nodded. "Right... I'll talk to you later then." He hesitated a moment before turning around and leaving the store.

Fiona leaned against the bookcase and sighed. She hoped she'd get some answers that night.

* * *

Fiona spread a yoga mat in the middle of her bedroom floor. She had a couple of hours home alone and wanted to try something Beatrice had taught her. Despite Fiona's pleas, the woman had refused to tell her anything more. She insisted Fiona knew all she needed to know; she just had to tap into those answers. In order to help her do that, Beatrice taught Fiona several meditations and insisted she do them every day.

Fiona put on an instrumental CD she'd borrowed from Amy and began setting up for her session. She set three candles on the floor in a circle around the mat and lit them: purple, white, and blue. Beatrice had explained the reasoning behind the colors to her. Purple was for spirituality, while the white candle provided protection. The blue one was meant to be calming. Fiona lit each one and sat down Indian-style in the middle. To complete the setup, she lit a stick of incense with one of the candles and set the incense in a holder sitting directly in front of her.

As the flame began to travel down and the smoke rose, Fiona blew the flame out so that only an ember remained. The sweet aroma of the amber incense Beatrice told her to use filled the air and she couldn't help taking a moment to allow it to fill her senses. The idea of sitting with the candles surrounding her filled her with panic, but she took a deep breath and scolded herself to get over it. It was part of the whole thing, so she had to deal.

Fiona did as she was taught and said a prayer for protection first, followed by some visualizations to ground her energy. After she'd gone through the simple routine, she took another deep, long breath and pictured a movie screen in front of her. As she continued the chant she'd been taught, she went deeper into her meditation. Fiona felt a strange floating sensation begin, as if she were leaving her body. It was a bit unnerving, but she reminded herself that she'd been warned that might happen and breathed through it. She could see herself sitting in front of the movie screen, watching a scene go by.

Fiona watched as her previous dream about Alice Rose played out in front of her. When Fiona reached the part where she'd woken from her dream, she took another deep breath. Her heart beat a little faster as she waited to see what came next.

* * *

It hadn't been easy, what with the watchful eye of her family on her often. Still, Alice Rose had managed to stash away provisions in a secret hiding place that would help her on a journey out of the tight-knit community she'd been living in ever since her parents had taken her in at birth. She'd grown bored and restless with the rules that had been set forth since she was a child; she wanted a different kind of life. Now that she was twenty-one, she was ready to declare her independence and renounce the religion and community she'd grown up in. She knew it wasn't going to be easy; Charles and her mother would be disappointed in her. Not to mention the reaction her father would have. They knew the custom; they just never imagined that Alice Rose would choose to take part in it.

The scene before Fiona changed, and she watched as Alice Rose snuck out of the house. A coat protected the woman from the chill in the air, and she held a small bag in each hand. The crackling of leaves caused Alice Rose to tense. Her gaze darted around to find the source of the noise. She took shelter behind a large tree and attempted to peek around the side.

"Alice Rose?"

The familiar voice carried through the night air, causing Alice Rose to jump. She bit her lip and went still, trying not to confirm her presence. She held her breath as she listened to the approaching footsteps. There was nowhere else to hide. "Alice Rose, what are you doing out here this late?"

Before she could speak, his attention shifted to the bags she'd attempted to hide. "Well?"

Alice Rose glanced from him to the bags, and then down to the ground. "I'm sorry."

A look of understanding crossed his features. "You weren't going to tell me?" His tone was harsh. Fiona could see the barely contained rage flashing in his eyes, and it sent a chill down her spine.

"If I had, would you have agreed to go as well?" Her tone was almost as harsh as his had been as she stood straighter, taking on a defiant stance.

He glared at her. "Does that matter? You should have told me, Alice Rose! You were just going to walk away without even a goodbye?"

"Answer the question." Her voice rose as she fixed him with a glare of her own.

"No." The answer hung in the air between them a moment as they stood there, glaring at each other.

"I thought as much." She stood and picked up the bags, turning away and preparing to continue on. Before she got more than a few feet away, she felt a hand wrap around her arm, pulling her back.

"Let go of me." Alice Rose shouted as she struggled to free herself.

"I'll let go when you get over this foolishness and return home! How dare you just disappear without telling anyone?"

"Why, so you could try to convince me to stay? You have no right to stop me, and you know that." Alice Rose spat the words at him, her blood heating as she stepped back from him. "It won't work; this is something I have to do."

"You'll regret this," he warned.

"Maybe so, but I don't care!" She finally managed to yank her arm free and began to run away from him. Alice Rose heard him start to follow her, but the footsteps stopped as quickly as they started. She looked back to see him disappearing into the night. Her entire body shook with sobs as the enormity of what she was about to do hit her. This had been her home for as long as she could remember, and Charles had been a part of her life for almost as long. Still, the urge to roam was too strong and she knew they wouldn't forgive her for leaving. Alice Rose closed her eyes as she took a long, deep breath. Her expression hardened with a renewed resolve as she tightened the grip on her bags and continued on her way.

* * *

Fiona took a few deep breaths to relax. Alice Rose's pain permeated Fiona's being; guilt and sadness over the decision to leave radiated off of her, leaving Fiona on the verge of tears. She reminded herself it was only a vision. Even if what she'd seen was true, that didn't matter. It was in the past, and she had to leave it there. Fiona did another visualization to bring her out of the meditation and back to reality, and the scene vanished from her mind's eye. She looked around, taking in the familiar surroundings, as her vision cleared. After a couple of minutes, Fiona stood and snuffed out the candles and incense.

What if Charles had backtracked and done something to her? Charles. Ted. The two names and faces merged in her mind as she began to wonder what she might have gotten herself into when she went out with him. _No way._ _That's ridiculous...isn't it?_

#  Chapter Thirteen

Fiona busied herself with work and packing in the week following her experiment with the meditation. She was positive the vision she'd had was real—an actual glimpse of her past. She just wasn't sure what she thought of that. Clearly, she'd made some mistakes, and Fiona needed to process it all. The biggest mistake had been getting involved with Charles to start with, when she'd known there was a possibility of her leaving when she'd reached the proper age, and she tried to understand why she had done something like that. He'd had a strange hold over her, much like now, that she supposed made avoiding him impossible then.

Her mind must have decided she needed a rest, because the dreams had stopped haunting her for the time being. She decided for the moment to be thankful for small favors and not try to read too deeply into anything. She'd also kept her distance from both guys, especially Ted. The idea of what she'd seen being a part of their shared past made her skin crawl. He'd said once he was intuitive. Did he see the same things she did? If so, did he hold a grudge against her? Fiona didn't know and wouldn't know how to ask, even if she wanted to. Her lips curved in a smile as she considered the kind of looks she'd get for asking.

When they called, she pretended she had a ton of work to get done. The lies wouldn't be able to work much longer, but they might buy her a little more time to decide what she wanted to do. Fiona pulled out her notebook and pen and settled into a chair in the corner of the bedroom. Her hands were a blur as she scribbled down everything she'd experienced. The more she wrote, the lighter she felt.

It was strange—despite the terror her dreams and the vision inspired in her, writing it out made it all seem much less foreboding. So what if there had been an argument? She'd certainly deserved one, leaving like she had. Fiona cringed as she remembered how she'd considered doing the same thing to Sloane. It'd been a weak thing to do, and there was no way she'd make that mistake again—no matter what decision she made.

Fiona shook her head as she realized how easily she was accepting that everything she'd seen was real. How even thinking about it was like thinking the sky was blue, or night was dark—it just was and she didn't question it. Her phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She set the notebook and pen aside and stood to answer. As she glanced down at the screen, her pulse raced. She pressed the talk button, willing her voice not to shake. "Hi, Ted."

"Long time, no see..."

"Yeah... I had a lot to catch up on. Procrastination's fun until the to-do list's breathing down your neck."

"Tell me about it. Any chance of your schedule opening up tomorrow night? I thought we could go to that carnival that just came to town."

She couldn't help but smile at that. How many times had she gone there over the years? Fiona did want to see him again, and she figured a place like that was as good as any—you couldn't get any safer than a swarm of people around. "Sure, what time?"

"Seven okay?"

Fiona glanced at her clock. "I'll be ready. I better be going now—I've got some stuff to finish up before we go."

"No problem...see you later."

"Bye." Fiona ended the call and tossed the cell onto her bed. Despite everything, her stomach fluttered as she anticipated their date.

#  Chapter Fourteen

_This isn't so bad._ Fiona was enjoying herself much more than she'd anticipated as she and Ted got in line for a ride. She'd almost forgotten about the vision she had as they explored the games and rides the fair had to offer. Her favorite so far had been the roller coaster. She'd screamed the whole time and enjoyed every second of it. There was something exciting about the rush of air going by as they careened to the ground. It took a few minutes after getting off the ride to get her heart rate back down. Ted seemed to enjoy it as well. They'd also gotten some snacks and played a few of the games; she was carrying one of the prizes as they waited. Ted had won it in the game in which he had to knock down a stack of bottles. It took a few tries, but the stuffed bear she held proved his victory.

The car ride there had been another story. Both had been quiet, caught up in their own thoughts. Fiona hadn't a clue what Ted was thinking of, and a part of her didn't want to know. She spent most of the ride looking out the window and trying to keep the conversation light.

Once they pulled into the lot, it was like a cloud lifted from over Fiona's head. The smell of the popcorn and the sound of the merry-go-round filled her senses. There was something about a carnival that made it impossible to be in a bad mood. It was like stepping back into childhood, no worries or stress. All you had to worry about was what ride to try out first, something Fiona needed more than she could say.

Fiona and Ted made it to the front of the line and climbed into the Ferris wheel. As their car lifted into the air, Ted reached for her hand, and they settled back to enjoy the view. Fiona gazed down, looking at the lights of the city below. She loved getting to go on rides like this; it was amazing to be able to see so much at one time. It made everything seem small. She absentmindedly reached for the stone she'd been carrying around in her pocket, rubbing it gently with the index finger and thumb of her free hand. Instinctively, her eyes closed, and she began running through the same visualizations she'd done at home.

A vision hit her with an intensity she hadn't experienced before, causing her to gasp. It flashed through her mind so fast she barely had time to process it. She was back in the original dream she had of Maria burning at the stake. She was back in that body, feeling the flames rise up around her as her skin prickled and cracked under the heat. This time, she was able to make out the face the girl had seen—a very familiar face. Its detached expression while witnessing her burn made her sick. She could feel the emotional pain it caused her former self as strongly as she could feel the physical pain the fire caused. Fiona pulled her hand back, moving as far away as possible.

"Fi, what's wrong?" Ted looked at her with a mix of confusion and concern in his eyes.

"I have to get out of here...now!" Her throat constricted as she forced the words out through her terror. She gripped the side of the car tight as the car shook slightly from her movements.

"That's impossible. We're only halfway down and we still have another trip to the top before the ride stops. What's going on?"

Fiona shook her head and closed her eyes. She took a couple of deep breaths, willing the images in her mind to go away. Ted kept trying to get her to talk, but she refused to say anything—she couldn't. Her mind was a jumble of images and emotions that caused her to shut down inside, at least while in his presence. The very idea of talking to him at the moment caused waves of pain to radiate through her body.

As soon as the ride ended and she was back on solid ground, Fiona began walking through the crowd, intent on getting as far away from there as possible. She broke into a run, Ted following, calling for her to stop. She ignored it and kept going as she made her way through the bustling crowd. Twice, she almost knocked down children racing across her path, but she managed to keep her footing. The sounds of the games and people chatting, laughing, and yelling in delight on the rides vanished under the cloud of terror and hurt she'd found herself in.

All she knew was an overwhelming desire to escape. What had she been thinking when she agreed to go out with him again? _That's the problem, I wasn't thinking at all._ She kept running toward the street, terrified she'd hear a car pulling up behind her any minute with him in it. She'd surprised herself with how fast she'd run. It was like all those stories about people who develop unusual strength and speed when they were in some kind of danger and the adrenaline was pumping.

She was torn between wanting to go home and finding somewhere to hide out for a while. Fiona was leaning toward finding somewhere to hide in case he decided to go by her house looking for her. The same thought made her think going home might be best. Her parents knew she'd left with him, and they would panic if he showed up asking for her. Fiona knew they'd get every neighbor out looking for her, and she didn't want that.

Her decision made, she veered off in the direction of her house. It didn't take her long to get there and, when she did, she was relieved to see his car wasn't in the drive. She walked up the front steps and unlocked the door. She smiled when she saw the kitchen light on; that meant she could slip upstairs without having to talk to them.

"I'm back! Heading up to bed. See you guys in the morning." Fiona raced upstairs, retreating to the safety of her room. As soon as the door was closed behind her, she leaned against it and dropped to the floor, the tension in her body easing as the idea she was home and safe sunk in. The sensation deepened with each passing moment that didn't bring a knock at the door. Confident she wasn't going to be bothered for the time being, Fiona surrendered to the tears that begged for release.

* * *

Fiona was supposed to meet her friends for lunch the next day, but she canceled on them. She was in too dark a mood for their chatter. It would just make her feel worse and maybe even give her a headache.

She slipped out of the back of the building, heading for a secret hiding spot she'd loved when she was little. It was in a wooded area not far from her home, where a cluster of trees provided a shady place to sit and think alone.

The hard wood of the tree trunk against her back steadied her as she pulled a sandwich out of her bag. Fiona pulled the crust off, tossing the pieces aside without bothering to take a bite. Her appetite was non-existent, and she doubted she'd feel like eating any time soon. The vision she'd had at the carnival still played in her mind, mocking her. Fiona supposed she had her answer now: Ted wasn't to be trusted. The knowledge crushed her. She'd been having a great time until that vision and thought she knew what her choice was going to be. Now, she had to forget that.

Maybe it was just as well. She'd never wanted to get serious with anyone to start with. It was probably all a big game to him anyway. Her eyes narrowed as she thought of all the cryptic comments he'd made about reading her mind; they were probably his way of messing with her head—trying to hurt her.

The reason why escaped her; she supposed it could be related to any of the things in her dreams or the fact he was just a world-class jerk. Did they really need a reason to act that way? Fiona took a bite of the sandwich and closed her eyes as she tried to erase those eyes from her mind.

#  Chapter Fifteen

Fiona sat behind the counter of the bookstore, counting out the register. The sound of the rustling paper became almost hypnotic after a while, and she had to shake her head to snap out of it. She finished counting and stuffed the bills into an envelope before scribbling the total on it and shoving it back into the register drawer. A loud click filled the air as she pushed the drawer closed. It was almost time to leave for the day, and she couldn't wait to go. The endless stream of customers that forced her to smile as if nothing were wrong made her feel even worse than she already did.

In the days following her disaster of a date with Ted, Fiona had done everything possible not to speak to him. She couldn't—not yet. The hurt was still too raw. She almost laughed at the thought. Why on earth should she care so much? At the very least, the situation had done one thing for her: she knew without a doubt she had to tell Sloane it was over. It was really the only thing to do, considering she really wanted someone else.

_When did that happen?_ Tying herself down to any one person or any one place was never an option. Yet she considered it for a moment, and look what happened. Fiona pulled out a small rag from one of the desk drawers and wiped the table down as her vision from the carnival came to mind again. _Enough already._ She needed to focus on the task at hand. She finished with that task and moved on to putting back any books that had been left lying around.

Just as the last book was placed back where it belonged, the chimes over the door rang. "Sorry, we're closed now."

"I know; that's why I'm here."

Fiona spun around, coming face-to-face with Amy. "What are you talking about?" She raised an eyebrow. "Did we have plans tonight?"

"No, but you do now." Amy motioned for the door without bothering to explain herself any further.

Fiona smirked. Her friend could be very abrupt sometimes. "What plans? Look, I'm really not in the mood right now..."

"That's my point exactly—you never are anymore. Something's obviously wrong, so let's talk about it." She paused before adding, "Becca called me. She's worried about you. According to her, you've been having all these weird dreams you never tell her about and you're barely sleeping."

Fiona wanted to be angry at her sister, but she knew that wasn't fair. While she'd been adamant about keeping her parents out of this, she'd forgotten to add her friends were off-limits too. "She shouldn't have done that."

"Yeah, well...too late. Are you coming, or do I have to tell your parents you're turning into a head case?"

Fiona opened her mouth to protest but decided against it. She shrugged and then motioned for Amy to take a seat. "All right. Give me a sec to finish up."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in Amy's backyard. Fiona leaned back in her chair, looking up at the sky as she considered how to even begin telling her friend what happened. The abundance of stars overhead made her and her problems seem small in comparison. When was the last time she'd taken the time for something like this, to get perspective? "This is going to sound really crazy, but I guess you're pretty much the only one who might not think so..." Fiona told her friend everything—all the dreams, what she'd seen about Ted, and how much that had hurt. When she finished, she realized there must be something to that whole "confession is good for the soul" thing—she felt lighter than she had in days.

"Wow." Her friend sat back, appearing to get lost in thought.

Amy was silent for so long Fiona wondered if she'd managed to weird even her out. The thought made Fiona smile; she'd never thought such a thing was possible.

"Are you sure it was him you saw?"

"There's not a doubt in my mind." She laughed as she shook her head in disbelief. "Can you believe I was actually considering breaking my 'nothing serious' rule for him? I mean, I must've lost my mind."

"That's not crazy." Amy's voice was soft as she reached over and took Fiona's hand to give it a squeeze.

"Sure it is, when the guy has something to do with you burning at the stake."

Amy leaned over and hugged her friend, then pulled away and looked Fiona in the eye. "Look, whatever happened, you aren't crazy. So maybe he's not what you thought. So what? He's cute; he was sweet—why wouldn't you like him? And, you're thinking clearly enough to walk away, so no crazy there either."

"Maybe." Fiona smiled. She was really going to miss seeing Amy all the time once the summer was over. She was one of the few people who could cheer her up that fast. "Thanks." _Maybe nosy sisters aren't such a bad thing..._

* * *

Later that night, Fiona dreamed about Alice Rose again. This time, there was no separation between the two of them; allowing her to feel everything her former self had. It must've happened not long after the fight with Charles—she sat on a train, staring out the window. The scenery went by in a blur as she thought about what she'd done. Alice Rose had only been on the train for a short time, but already she'd re-played that argument in her head a hundred times. _I should've told him._ He'd been right to be angry with her, and she hated to leave like that. More than anything, she wanted to get off at the next stop and run straight back, but something stopped her.

The jostling of the train caused her already sensitive stomach to lurch further and her head pounded from the constant chatter surrounding her. All she wanted was to be alone and not have to think. She glanced out the window and allowed herself to get lost in the hypnotic sensation of the blurred countryside before her.

She couldn't help the vague sense of anger and betrayal he inspired in her. What he'd done, she had no clue. She just knew that getting as far away from him as possible was the only option, for too many reasons. A horn blared as the train began to slow down, snapping her out of her trance. A man walked through to warn any disembarking passengers to get ready, and Alice Rose sighed. She still had quite a distance ahead of her. Before long the train came to a full stop and she glanced down, brushing off her skirt as she waited for the journey to continue.

"Excuse me, miss. May I have this seat?"

Alice Rose looked up to see a young man staring down at her. He was shorter than Charles and not nearly as fit. As she looked him over, she noted the slight gut he sported beneath his fancy clothing. Clearly, this was a man who wanted for little—something Alice Rose was not accustomed to. She nodded. "Yes, please do."

He smiled at her and tipped his hat. "Thank you." He sat down beside her, regarding her with a curious look in his eyes. "What, may I ask, is a young woman like yourself doing traveling alone?"

"I'd rather not discuss it, if it's all the same to you." She gave him an apologetic look, ashamed at how rude she sounded. The whole thing was just too much for her to discuss, especially with some stranger.

He shook his head. "Quite all right. May I ask where you're headed?"

Alice Rose looked back to the window. "Anywhere far away."

* * *

Fiona stirred in her sleep, mumbling inaudibly. Moments later, she gasped and sat up. A sigh of relief came when she saw it was just her sister standing there. Rebecca must've shaken her awake. "What is it?" Fiona cleared her throat.

"You were talking in your sleep. Are you having one of those dreams again?"

Fiona's dream ran through her mind. The young man had been familiar—she was pretty sure he was Sloane. She frowned as more memories came back to her. Yes, she was definitely making the right choice by telling Sloane she couldn't see him anymore. As nice as Sloane was—as he'd been—he wouldn't make her happy, and she knew it. No sense in pretending and maybe hurting the guy worse than she already would. "Yeah, but it's all right. At least, it will be."

#  Chapter Sixteen

The next morning, Fiona picked up her cell phone and selected Sloane's name from her contact list. There was no sense in waiting—she'd probably already waited too long as it was. The phone rang several times before she heard the familiar voice.

"Hello?"

"Hi." She took a deep breath and forced the words out. "Can we meet somewhere to talk?"

"Sure...where?"

Fiona could hear the hesitation in his voice—she guessed he had an idea of what she wanted to talk about, and she winced in pain as she thought about what she was going to do. "How about the park down the street from my house? I can be there in about ten minutes."

* * *

It'd taken Sloane a minute to answer, but he agreed, so Fiona had gone straight there. Now that she'd made up her mind, she didn't want to waste more time. She sat on the bench and glanced down the road. _He should arrive soon._

Just as she thought that, she saw him in the distance. A couple of minutes later, he was standing in front of her with a nervous look in his eyes.

"Hi. So...what'd you want to talk about?"

Fiona raised an eyebrow at his abrupt tone. Maybe he was just as anxious to get this over with as she was. "Yeah," she gestured to the bench she was sitting on, "have a seat."

He did as she asked without saying a word. The nearly-deserted area was deafeningly silent as a breeze brushed against her skin, causing her to shiver. She shifted to face him and steeled herself for the potential fallout.

"Look... I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I keep coming back to the same thing. You're a sweet guy, but I just don't think it's going to work. Not long distance. I'm sorry."

"Is this because of Ted?"

That name. It was like a knife in her heart, especially with him assuming they were together. _Why did he have to say that?_ "No, I'm not going to be seeing him anymore. It's just me. I really did try, but I can't do this. I'm sorry."

Before he could ask her any questions, Fiona stood and walked away. She half expected him to try to stop her, but he didn't. She walked back to her house feeling lighter than she had all day. She just needed to find a way to forget Ted, and she might even get back to her old self.

* * *

Forgetting him was easier said than done. That night, she went outside to put the trash on the curb with only the porch light as her guide. Crickets chirped in the air as the wheeled can vibrated against the stone driveway. As she turned to go back inside, she found herself staring into those eyes—eyes that could see right through her. Her stomach flip-flopped as she fought to find her voice.

"So, I've been thinking a lot about the other night at the carnival. I still can't figure out what happened though. Want to explain it to me?"

Fiona closed her eyes and summoned her courage. She figured now was as good a time as any to settle this whole thing. She'd been planning to talk to him tonight or the next day anyway. "I guess so." She motioned to the porch swing. "Why don't you sit down?"

He shook his head and spoke in a serious tone. "I'd rather talk to you alone."

Fiona hesitated before answering, trying to keep her voice steady against the fear the idea inspired in her. "I don't know about that."

"Please? I think this really would be better somewhere else."

He reached for her hand, but she pulled away. She saw the hurt in his eyes, but she reminded herself she couldn't let that bother her right now. "All right, I guess. Let me just tell my family I'm leaving. I'll be right back."

She retreated into the house, returning minutes later with a jacket. She hoped his knowing she informed everyone where she was going, and who with, would make him hesitate to try anything. They walked for a little while in silence before stopping at the Richards'. How Fiona knew that's where they'd end up, she had no idea. The house was dark as they approached, and the cars were gone. Still, it'd be an easy run to a neighbor's house if she needed to make an escape. She insisted on talking outside, and he agreed before disappearing inside a moment to turn on the lights in the backyard.

The two sat down on the patio chairs across from each other, as far as she could get the chair while still being able to talk without shouting or straining to hear each other. Fiona finally broke the silence after several minutes. "I was rude, I know. I shouldn't have run off like that, but I wasn't sure what to do. How I could explain things."

"Explain what? What'd I do?" Frustration tinged his words as he studied her face, clearly trying to read her expression again.

She shook her head as she put on the mask she'd been wearing ever since that night to avoid showing anyone her pain. "You didn't do anything—it's not that. This is really hard to say, but here it is: I can't go out with you anymore. I realized the other night that I was making a huge mistake by going out with you. I know that sounds really bad, but it's true." A feeling of pride swept through her at managing to keep her tone so calm and matter-of-fact—like this didn't really mean anything to her at all.

He watched her a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes. He looked down at the ground, appearing to mull over what she'd said before meeting her gaze again. "You're lying. What gives?"

His words stung. What was he doing, reading her mind again? _What right does he have to question me like this?_ Her temper began to flare as she narrowed her eyes and hardened her voice. "I don't know what you're talking about. Look... I'm sorry about this, but you both wanted me to make a choice, and this is it."

"Get off it, Fiona." His voice rose in challenge, his gaze never leaving hers. "You were acting like I was something straight out of a monster movie and took off like you were running for your life. Doesn't sound like you deciding you'd rather not see someone to me."

It didn't matter that he was right; her temper only grew as he continued to call her into question. She didn't owe him anything but an apology for running away in the middle of a date. It was like she said—they'd been pushing her to choose. If he didn't like her choice, he was just going to have to live with it. "I guess I just panicked, that's all. Look...I'm sorry I ran off like that, I really am. That was wrong, but I'm telling the truth." Exasperation colored her words as she gripped the arm of the chair tight to settle herself down. Why did he have to know her so well? Why couldn't he just leave it at that?

She stood to leave, but before she could, she felt a hand on her arm, holding her in place. She turned to face him, glaring at him as she struggled to keep the fear under control. "Let me go."

"As soon as you tell me the truth—that's all I'm asking. You saw something, didn't you—something that scared you?"

Her eyes widened as her heart began to pound. He knew. Worse yet, he was forcing her to admit it. "Maybe." The word came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She pulled away in an attempt to escape his grasp. She didn't want to talk about this and began to regret agreeing to chat with him alone in the first place. She should've insisted she was too busy and waited until she had a friend for backup. He moved much faster than she'd guessed he could—she didn't have a chance of running for help.

"What was it?" He loosened his hold on her but didn't let go completely.

She wanted to lie, but what good would that do her? Hadn't he already shown he could see right through her lies? There was a chance this could be bad, but she didn't have any other options. She had to tell the truth. Fiona took a deep breath and let it all out: the dreams she'd had and what she thought about them. Fiona was amazed to see he didn't look at all surprised. She paused before continuing, "Anyway, I started seeing more of the one where I burned while we were on that ride— _you_ were there."

Once again, he failed to look even the least bit surprised. In fact, she thought she noticed guilt in his expression. "I was right. You've known all along, haven't you?" Her voice rose in accusation as she put her hands on her hips.

"What if I did?"

"I can't trust you then, that's what! How could you just watch it happen? You didn't even try to help me! Was it because you helped put me there?" Fiona spat the words out; she could feel the centuries of baggage flooding to the surface, coming out like a volcanic eruption. She found the strength to pull her arm free.

"Fiona, listen." He took a step closer, reaching for her.

She stepped back and shook her head. "No. Just get away from me. I don't want to see you again. Not in this life or any other. If you see me again, just go the other way."

"Fi—"

Before he could get another word out, Fiona sidestepped him and turned to run away. She raced through the yard, thinking again of what a huge mistake this had been. She should've just ignored him. This was so much more painful. The emotions flooding through her were threatening to overtake her. Tears stung her eyes, but she fought to hold them back. There was no way she could let herself give in to them now, not when she needed to get out of here. She was startled once again by the feeling of an arm wrapping around her, preventing her escape. "Let go of me!" A shriek escaped her.

"No. Not until you let me explain." His tone was hard, but his eyes were pleading with her to listen.

"I said, 'let go', Ted. Now, or I will scream so loud..." What could he possibly say to justify everything that had happened? He'd betrayed her, plain and simple, and now he was trying to keep her from getting away.

"Fiona, please." He loosened his grip on her and turned her around to face him. "Just hear me out; that's all I'm asking. Can't you just give me five minutes?"

Fiona looked into his eyes—there was so much pain in them. Maybe he wasn't quite as dangerous as she'd feared. It might be good to find out what his side of the story was. At the very least, it might appease him enough to let her leave. She nodded. "All right. You have five minutes, so start talking."

He nodded and released her. "You were right before when you said you saw me in that crowd, but I don't think you saw everything. I was there, true, but there was nothing I could do to help."

She raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief before giving him a questioning look "What do you mean there was nothing you could do?"

"I wasn't just standing there to watch, Fiona. I was next on their list."

Fiona blinked. "Say what?" Had she really heard him right? It didn't seem possible considering it was mostly women who burned then.

"It's true."

Something in his voice gave her pause, and she nodded. "I'm listening..."

* * *

The cheering crowd made him sick. An innocent woman was about to die, and they were acting as if they were at a joust. He could barely look at the post, too conscious of the fact that in minutes, the woman he loved was going to be tied to it— he was going to be forced to watch as the flames consumed her.

A surge of guilt and self-hate rushed through him as he thought about the argument they'd had. He knew the work she did would put her at greater risk of being accused, but he hadn't forced her to quit. When he'd overheard someone talking about her, it was like all the air had been forced from his lungs. He had to get her out of there, but he couldn't risk doing it during the daylight hours. If they were going to have any hope of getting out of there before the witch hunters came for her, it would have to be under the cover of night.

His mind played back the argument they'd had when he informed her they'd be leaving their small village for good; his wife didn't understand why he wanted to leave so suddenly. He refused to answer, telling her they were going and that was final. It was the first, and last, time he'd ever issued her an order. Despite all that had happened over the past couple of years, he knew she still held faith everything would be fine. Each time he'd expressed concern over administering those cures, she waved it off, fingering the little cross she wore around her neck. She truly believed she'd be protected; that God had a plan for her. He didn't share her faith, and it frustrated him. Once darkness fell and most were in bed, he told her to wait for him a minute. He was going to check to make sure the coast was clear and then they would be on their way. To his horror, before he could get too far, he heard the sound of her screaming and some people yelling. Next thing he knew, a group of men came up behind him, pointing weapons at him.

For hours, they'd done everything to get him to confess to all the evil things they believed she did. He refused, not caring what they did to him. He wasn't about to let them force a false confession out of him, like he'd heard of them doing to others. He gritted his teeth through the pain and kept silent, refusing to say a single word to condemn her.

Despite his efforts, he failed and was now being forced to see just how badly he'd done so. He watched as she was brought to the post and tied up, wanting to look away but knowing he couldn't. Even if he wasn't being forced to watch, he couldn't be a coward. It was only right that he shared her punishment in some way before facing his own. He was far more deserving of it than she was. Two more people joined the one who'd tied Maria to the post, each holding a torch. One of them held an extra that was handed off to the third. The flames ignited around her, and her screams pierced the air along with the smell of burning flesh and wood. The sounds and smells were overwhelming, but he refused to betray a single ounce of the pain it caused him—they'd take far too much pleasure in it.

* * *

"I did everything I could to try and keep you safe from them. It just wasn't enough." His voice caught in his throat as he finished the story. If he was lying about this, he was a far better actor than anyone in Hollywood could ever dream of being. The pain and guilt radiated off of him.

The two stood in silence for several minutes. Fiona was shocked by what he said; none of her dreams or visions showed her that much. How could such important information be held back? She decided that was something she needed to figure out later. She reached for his hand and took it in her own, feeling the warmth and clamminess of his palm. "When I asked if you knew the whole time, you didn't really answer me. So, did you?"

He nodded. "When I saw you at Jeremy's party, I thought you looked familiar. I just wasn't sure from where. The feeling got stronger the later it got so I had to talk to you...that's when all these memories hit me and I realized who you were. I just didn't want to tell you the truth because I didn't know if you'd remember or not—if you'd blame me for what happened."

She couldn't help but laugh at that; he really did know her well—more than she even knew herself. "Sorry... I shouldn't have laughed."

"Don't worry about it." He smiled, "I guess I did call that one pretty well." His tone grew more serious as he looked her in the eyes. "I'm sorry; I should've told you everything sooner."

She nodded. "You should've." She couldn't help but be a little angry about that—it might've saved a lot of hassle and worry had he just been honest with her sooner. Then again, she was one to talk. She'd been holding back just as much as he had.

He lightly stoked her hand with his thumb, looking her in the eye. "Do you think we could start over?"

An image of Alice Rose running alone into the night with a couple of small bags ran through her mind. She couldn't help but remember the argument that followed. The more Fiona thought about it, the more she realized just how much that one day centuries before shaped her without her even knowing it. She'd been convinced he'd betrayed her, and she'd never let go of that. Every time they came across each other, she must've subconsciously felt like he was going to let her down. That must've been why Alice Rose was so quick to do the same to Charles.

"I'd like that." The simple phrase had a powerful effect on them. The second the words were spoken, it was as if a huge weight were lifted from both their shoulders. Fiona couldn't believe how freeing it was to let go of the hurt that had been boiling under the surface for centuries.

#  Chapter Seventeen

"Well? What happened?"

Fiona was sitting in Amy's room again. It had been several weeks since she'd met with Ted and learned what had happened during the witch trials, and she'd spent almost no time with her best friend since. She was too busy spending time with Ted.

Fiona felt terrible about that, so she told him she wasn't going to be able to go out later. Instead, she was spending her Friday night here; it was the first sleepover they'd had in years. They'd grown out of that in junior high, but Amy had invited her anyway. They had a lot to catch up on, and Fiona knew it would be safe to talk there since no one would be around to overhear.

"I don't know if even you'll believe this one."

Amy laughed. "Try me. I'm going crazy here. I mean, one second you're terrified of the guy and ready to run the other way, and the next you're with him all the time."

Fiona smiled as she glanced around the room at the crystals hanging from the window and the cards sitting on one of the shelves. "All right." She reached up, absentmindedly playing with the small ring hanging from her necklace. He'd given it to her the night before, and she loved it. It had a neat pattern on it; one that reminded her of the symbols she'd painted on her shirt. It was strange how some things were starting to make sense. The nightmares had stopped, too. She almost felt human again.

"He came by the house one night while I was taking out the trash..." Fiona began telling her friend the whole story. By the time she was done, Amy's mouth hung open. The girl appeared to be at a loss for words for one of the only times Fiona could remember.

"That is so weird. You really believe it all?" The shock was wearing off, and now Amy was in concerned-friend mode.

Fiona nodded and played with the frayed edge of one of Amy's pillows, winding it around her finger. "I do. I just can't figure out why I wasn't getting more of the story all along. I mean, really, is it too much to ask?"

Amy laughed. "Maybe we can drop by tomorrow and find out; I've been wanting to go and get a couple new crystals I saw in a book I was reading. You in?"

Fiona nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

* * *

The next afternoon, Fiona followed Amy into the shop. To her surprise, Beatrice was sitting at the counter instead of in back. The woman smiled at her as Fiona approached the counter.

"You look like you're feeling better."

"I am." Fiona looked around the small store. "Are you able to talk a minute? I don't usually see you out here."

"My brother was supposed to be in today, but he had to cancel at the last second." Beatrice's gaze settled on Amy. "What's your friend's name?"

"Don't you know?" Fiona couldn't help teasing a little.

Beatrice gave her a mock-offended look and shook her head. "Not if she's not coming in for a reading, I don't. I never read someone unless they've asked."

"Oh. It's Amy," she replied before turning toward her friend. "Amy!"

Amy turned around and gave Beatrice a 'who me?' look. Beatrice waved her over. "I want to ask you a favor."

Amy set down the crystal and glanced at Fiona with one eyebrow raised, clearly wondering what her friend had gotten her into. "What is it?"

"You mind keeping an eye out for me while I talk to your friend a minute? If anyone comes in, just let them know I'll be out as soon as I finish. I don't think this will take long."

Amy's eyes lit up as she nodded eagerly. "Sure, no problem."

Fiona bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her friend looked like they used to when they were kids and their parents let them pick out whatever toy they wanted from the store for their birthdays. Beatrice nodded her thanks and walked Fiona into the back room.

"So, what can I do for you?"

Fiona hesitated a moment before taking a seat on the couch, trying to get all the questions clear in her head. She was still confused by a lot. Mostly, she wondered how she'd gotten some things so wrong. "I guess what I was wondering is where'd I go wrong? I was doing all that stuff you said, and I got a lot of answers, but I was completely off on so much of it. I mean, why didn't it show me what really happened?"

"Because you never asked." Beatrice sat down beside her and studied her a minute before continuing, "I don't think you were ready to yet. There's something you could learn from that. Keep that in mind."

Fiona raised an eyebrow, confused. "What does that mean?"

"You'll see; just keep working at it."

Fiona sighed. "You really don't like making things easy, do you?" Her words were partly a joke.

Beatrice didn't seem offended. Instead of giving her a nasty look, the woman laughed and shrugged. "It's not supposed to be easy. You're still learning. We all are—that's the whole point." She stood and motioned to the door. "I'd better get back to work now, but you stop by any time, you hear me?"

"I will." Fiona returned the hug and followed Beatrice out of the room as she contemplated the woman's words. She didn't know if Beatrice meant to or not, but it was almost as if she were trying to tell Fiona something without really telling her. As the thought crossed her mind, she felt a knot form in her stomach.

* * *

Fiona Stevens looked around the room she'd shared with her sister and bit her lip, fighting back a momentary panic. Most of the things in it were boxed up, her luggage in a pile in the corner. It was amazing; eleven years in school had dragged on for what seemed like an eternity and the last one was over in what felt like an instant. Where had it gone?

That morning, she and Ted would be leaving behind the small town Fiona had called home and making the trip up to Lockhart. Of course, they wouldn't be making the trip together—her parents insisted on going with her to help her unload her stuff and make sure she was set up properly.

While that was the excuse they'd given her, Fiona couldn't help but wonder if they were actually more interested in making sure she was settling into a dorm room instead of an apartment somewhere with Ted. She couldn't help but smile and shake her head at the thought—it was like they were getting more protective the closer she came to moving out.

After making a final check to ensure she hadn't forgotten to pack anything important, she walked downstairs to eat her last breakfast at home. _Won't be long now._ A surge of excitement flowed through her as she headed for the kitchen. Whatever was waiting for her in her new home, she was ready for it—especially since she wouldn't be facing it alone.

# About the Author

Jamie White is an author, blogger, pop culture lover, music addict, and photo geek. She also moonlights as a pet servant. When she's not busy with the #writerlife, she's spending time with her husband and their cats, singing, meditating, chanting, reading, or taking walks.
Author's note:

Thanks for taking the time to read Stains on the Soul. This was my first series, and I'm excited to have it back in the hands of readers. If you want to keep up with future installments and other projects, please consider joining my street team or newsletter—they'll be getting all the scoops first, plus some extra content as the muse gives it to me.

Also, if you feel moved to do so, please consider leaving a review. I'd love to hear what people think.

Also by Jamie White

The Life and Times of No One in Particular

Lyrical Muse

A Place Where I Belong

Learning Me (Lightworker Series, Book One)

Exploring Me (Lightworker Series, Book Two)

Rebuilding Me (Lightworker Series, Book Three)

