CHAPTER 7
PROPHECY
Jo sat at the edge of the expansive bed putting on her shoes, she was dressed and ready to leave
“Do you have to leave right now?” Ian asked still lying back.
“I’d like to get home before Clair.” She turned and lay on her stomach so she could look at him, “I really want you to meet her. You are the two most important people in my life and I want you to get to know each other.”
“I would love to meet her.” Ian knew that Jo had been thinking about asking him to meet Clair but he figured it would be best if she were the one to bring it up.
“I thought maybe you could have dinner with us tomorrow,” Jo said.
Ian got out of bed and started to get dressed. “That sounds good. You know this makes things easier for us, I won’t have to keep sneaking in and out, and with all that we heard Lena say, I want to stick close to you.”
Jo got up and went over to him and started buttoning his shirt, “You still have to be sneaky for at least one more night.”
Marcus and Isabella were in the kitchen talking when Jo and Ian came in.
“I take it Lena left,” Ian said as he looked around.
“Did you expect her to wait?” Marcus asked raising his eyebrows.
“No I guess not. Did she say anything else before she left?”
“She’s going to look through the book of ancient texts and see what she can find, then she’ll meet with us again.”
“I’ve got to get going,” Jo said as she picked up her coat, “I’ll talk to you all later.”
Ian walked her to the door. “I’ll be by when Clair goes to bed,” he said pulling her close.
“I can’t wait,” she said kissing him softly.
“I love you Jo Montgomery.”
“And I love you Ian Marcellus.”
When Clair came home from school Jo was standing in the kitchen in front of the stove. She was making Clair’s favorite, steak with baked potato and salad.
“Hey you’re home,” Clair said sounding pleasantly surprised and inhaling deeply to take in the aroma.
“I thought I’d make you dinner and we can talk. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
“I cleaned my room yesterday!” Clair said, a bit agitated. If there was one thing that the two of them did argue about it was Clair’s inability to use a hamper.
“It’s not about your room,” Jo said, as she put dinner out on the table.
“Oh, what is it then? Is everything alright?” Clair’s agitation turned to concern.
Jo sat down and starting cutting a piece of steak; she was nervous about how Clair would react to her dating. She had no doubt that Clair would like Ian but she was worried what she would think about the age difference. She hesitated for a minute.
“Come on mom, what is it?”
Jo put down her fork, “I’m seeing someone, and I’d like you to meet him,” she said rather quickly.
“I knew it! I knew something was going on!” Clair exclaimed.
“Are you upset?”
“Why should I be?” Clair said, taking a bite of potato.
“I just wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it,” Jo said
“I think it’s great. What’s he like?”
“Well, he’s fairly tall, dark hair, amazingly blue eyes,” Jo smiled thinking about Ian and she noticed Clair watching her, “I should warn you he’s a bit younger than me.”
“How much younger?” Clair looked slyly at her mother.
“Twelve years,” Jo mumbled, looking at her plate.
Clair began calculating in her head, “He’s twenty six?” Her Jaw dropped, “Way to go mom!”
Jo looked up suddenly, “That doesn’t bother you?” She asked.
“No, I think it’s awesome!”
Jo was so relieved, she suddenly felt giddy. “I asked him to have dinner with us tomorrow, is that too soon?”
“That’s perfect,” Clair paused for a minute to finish chewing then gave her mother a sideways look, “is he hot?”
“Clair!”
“Oh come on, is he?”
“He’s so hot,” Jo said raising her eyebrows, and the two of them broke out in hysterical laughter.
They continued talking throughout dinner and Clair seemed genuinely happy that Jo had found someone to spend her time with. She always felt guilty leaving her mother alone when she was at her father’s, and now Jo would have some one to keep her company when Clair was away.
The phone rang and Clair went to answer it. Jo sat on the couch, she was so happy. Ian and Clair were the two people in the world who meant the most to her and it was a relief to finally be able to talk to Clair about Ian. She heard Clair going through homework assignments on the phone and figured she must be talking to Tanya. Jo flicked on the TV and curled up, not even noticing what was on. Her thoughts settled on their meeting with Lena and she wondered if Lena would be able to come up with any answers. It had been such an overwhelming day, meeting Mia, finding out she was a witch and that she could possibly be the one that Mia was after.
Jo’s thoughts drifted as they so often did back to Ian. They had only been apart for half of the day, but she missed him desperately. She wished that she was curled up in his arms, she always felt safe with him. The next minute she was kissing his soft lips.
“Why didn’t you go up to bed?’ She hazily heard Ian’s voice. It took her a minute to realize that he was carrying her up the stairs.
“Where’s Clair?”
“She’s sleeping. You must have dozed off on the couch.”
Ian pushed Jo’s bedroom door open with his foot and sidled into the room. He set her down on her bed. “Do you want me to put your pajamas on for you?” He asked suggestively.
“Do I need pajamas?” She retorted
“I don’t believe you do,” he said as he jumped in the bed next to her and they both giggled like little children.
“Shhh, we don’t want to wake Clair,” Jo said.
“Did you tell her I was coming for dinner?”
“Yes, she’s very excited to meet you.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting her as well,” he said as he brushed Jo’s hair from her face.
“Oh my God!” Jo blurted out, “Clair!”
“What?” Ian was confused, “What about Clair?”
“What if Mia goes after Clair?” Jo’s eyes were full of terror.
Why did she not think of this earlier? Mia had after all killed Ian’s father and brother when she didn’t get what she wanted. What was to stop her from going after Clair, or anyone Jo loved for that matter?
“Calm down,” Ian soothed as he stroked her hair. “She hasn’t gone after her yet and she could have very easily. How about I keep an eye on her tonight and then tomorrow we can talk to Lena and get her input.”
“Ian, if anything happens to her I don’t know what I’ll do,” Jo said her eyes filling with tears.
“Hey,” he said, still stroking her hair, “I promise I won’t let anything happen to her. Remember she is the daughter of a very powerful wi...” Ian stopped mid sentence turning quickly in stunned realization.
Jo eyed him, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” She asked, her heart now pounding in her chest.
“It’s possible.”
“How would we know?” Jo asked with pleading eyes.
Ian leaned his forehead against Jo’s, “We’ll talk to Lena in the morning, maybe she can tell us something. But Jo you must be prepared, there is a very good chance that you have passed it onto her.”
Jo sat in quiet contemplation as Ian held her, lost in his own thoughts. Jo considered the idea of Clair being a witch; Ian was right, it was possible. She had not even begun to realize her own powers yet, how could she even begin to tell Clair any of this? Where would she begin? She was so deep in thought and the next thing she knew Ian was shaking her gently to wake her.
“Is it m
orning already?” Jo said blearily.
“It is. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes surprisingly. Where’s Clair?” She sat up suddenly.
“She’s in the shower, she’s fine,” Ian said sitting next to her. “Are you going to work today or will you be joining me at Lena’s?”
Jo was torn; she felt that she had been neglecting the café, even though she trusted Anna and Stephanie implicitly, she still liked to oversee the running of things. But talking to Lena was very important. She needed answers about Mia, about herself and now about Clair.
“I think I’ll be coming with you, well I’ll meet you there in any case. I‘ll feel better if I drop Clair off at school and then stop by the café and talk to Anna. I can meet you there as soon as I’m finished.”
“I really don’t like you out of my sight,” Ian said.
“It won’t be for long,” Jo heard footsteps in the hallway, “you have to leave before she sees you. Go!”
Ian kissed her and then he was gone.
There was a knock at the door just as the window clicked shut and Clair’s head peaked in.
“I see you made it upstairs,” she said as she came in and sat on the end of Jo’s bed.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You looked so comfortable I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Jo sat up, “Give me a chance to get ready and I’ll drive you to school before I stop by the café.” She didn’t even give Clair a chance to respond.
“Don’t forget Ian’s having dinner with us tonight,” Jo reminded Clair as she pulled up in front of the school.
“Can’t wait to meet him,” Clair said, as she opened the car door. “I’m really happy for you mom,” she said planting a kiss on her mother’s cheek and getting out of the car.
When Jo got to the café it was fairly quiet. Anna and Stephanie were behind the counter preparing fresh coffee and filling empty sugar bowls.
“Hi Jo,” Stephanie said with a smile, “we missed you yesterday.”
“Unfortunately I’m not sticking around today either, I have some personal business to take care of, I just need to speak to Anna in my office for a minute.”
Anna looked up; she looked as if she thought Jo was about to fire her.
Jo smiled at her, “It will only take a minute.”
Anna followed Jo into the office and waited for her to sit down behind her desk.
“Have a seat Anna.” Jo motioned a chair.
Anna sat and looked at Jo with her eyes wide.
“Anna you have been working for me for a while now and I’ve grown to trust you and even to rely on you, which is why I need to ask a favor of you?”
“Yes of course, what do you need?’ Jo could see the relief in her expression.
“Well I’m afraid I will have to rely on you a little more than I usually do. I have some personal business that needs tending to and although I will be in and out of the shop periodically I’ll need someone here to fill in for me. Do you think that this is something that you would be interested in doing?”
“Oh yes, absolutely! I would love too,” Anna chimed.
“I will of course increase your pay and if you feel the need, I’ll hire another girl to help out.”
“I think that Stephanie and I can handle things,” Anna was just beaming.
“Okay so we’ll leave things the way they are for now but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you just let me know and I’ll make other arrangements,” Jo said as she stood.
“Yes okay. You don’t have to worry Jo I’ll do a good job,” Anna said as she made to leave.
“I know you will,” Jo said, “Can you send Stephanie in for me?”
A minute later Stephanie came into the office looking just as nervous as Anna had.
“Please sit down,” Jo said as she sat on the edge of her desk. “I just want to fill you in on what will be going on over the next few weeks. I have just explained to Anna that I will not be in the shop very often for a little while and I have asked her to fill in for me,” Jo looked at Stephanie smiling. “I wanted you to know that I am very fond of you and I find you just as capable and just as responsible as Anna. But seeing as Anna has been working for me much longer than you have, I thought it only fair that she run things while I’m away. I will be very grateful if you can help her as much as you can in my absence.
“Of course Jo, you don’t have to worry about anything. We’ll take good care of the café for you,” Stephanie said kindly.
“Thank you Stephanie, I really do appreciate both of your help. Now I really must be going,” Jo said glancing at her watch.
Jo followed Stephanie out to the café and gave the girls a few last minute instructions. She told them she would be in to do some paperwork every so often and she turned to leave. Just before she reached the door she noticed a man sitting by himself with a newspaper obstructing his face.
“If you expect not to be noticed in a coffee shop, you should at least order a cup of coffee,” Jo said sitting opposite him.
“I never touch the stuff,” Ian said lowering his paper. “Did you think I was going to let you out of my sight all morning?”
“It’s only been an hour and a half,” Jo said. “Have you spoken to Lena?”
“I called her five minutes ago, she’s waiting for us. Marcus and Isabella will be joining us as well.”
The two of them made their way over to Lena’s store. When they entered Lena turned her sign to CLOSED and locked the door. She led them to a long stretch of wall at the back of the shop, and then she turned to face the wall and placed her hand against it. Lena closed her eyes and began to chant under her breath.
Jo could not understand why they were just standing here at the back of the shop; she had so many questions to ask Lena and they were wasting time. She began to fidget and Ian glanced at her, willing her to be patient.
Lena continued her chanting, and then she suddenly stopped and took a step backwards. A piece of the wall seemed to be moving, it was sliding open allowing them entry into a wide room, and as soon as they had stepped through, the door slid closed behind them. The room was dim; there was a long wooden table in the center where Marcus and Isabella sat thumbing through papers. There were beaded shawls draped all around and a collection of large cushions was piled in one corner. There was a single over sized couch along the back wall covered in colorful smaller cushions and little tables were scattered about covered in the same beaded shawls that hung on the walls.
“This is beautiful,” Jo said in complete admiration.
“Have a seat,” said Lena, “we have a few things to discuss.”
Jo and Ian each took a seat at the large table. There were books and papers scattered everywhere, Jo noticed that much of them were old and discolored. Some contained drawings, others illustrations and some contained writing that Jo could not make out.
“First thing’s first,” Lena said handing Jo a Small Box.
Jo looked puzzled but took the box and opened it. Inside was the most beautiful stone Jo had ever seen. It was carved so intricately and was the most vibrant shade of blue. She picked it up noticing how incredibly smooth it was.
“What is this?” Jo asked.
“That is an amulet and it is for your daughter to wear. When Ian called he told me that you were worried about Clair’s safety. Although after looking through my books I am fairly certain that Mia cannot touch Clair as she is bound to you by blood, but I can understand your concern as her mother. I have made this amulet of Lapis Lazuli for her to wear and added my own protective spell to it; as long as she wears that amulet you do not need to concern yourself with Mia hurting your daughter.”
“Oh Lena, thank you so much,” Jo was truly grateful. “What about my sister and her family, do you think that they’re safe?”
“Like I said I am fairly certain that anyone who is bound to you is safe from harm against Mia. To tell you the truth I think she will be sp
ending all of her energy on you,” She looked at Jo then continued, “Now let’s move on, shall we?”
“Have you found anything?” Ian questioned.
“I have found a passage in the ancient text that I think relative, but I still need to work out its full meaning. That is why I have asked Marcus and Isabella to join us. It will be easier to decipher with five of us rather than three,” Lena stated.
“Where’s this passage?” Ian asked.
Isabella handed Lena a book. She was very careful in handling it, as it was very old and frail. The cover was leather and worn with embossed symbols that Jo could not make out. The pages seemed to be of old parchment and this fact brought to realization, just how very old it must be.
“This is a prophecy taken from the book of ancient text. I will read it to you and then we can work on deciphering the meaning piece by piece,” Lena said and then began to read.
“With the borrowing of darkness
She will free the earth of evil
Eyes of the fertile land
Reflected in a sea of blue
Changing of form to inject the light
Returning the darkness from whence it came
The final choice is hers alone.”
Jo looked bewildered, “How will we ever decipher that? It just sounds like bits of a poem that were thrown together.”
“We’ll take it one line at a time. Lena thinks that she knows what the first line means already,” Marcus said.
They all looked to Lena waiting to hear her interpretation. “I think the first line ‘with the borrowing of darkness’ explains why you two have such an attraction,” Lena looked to Ian and then to Jo. “We could not figure out why the two of you would be so drawn to each other, vampires and witches do not usually enjoy each other’s company. But if we look to history we will find that there are times when magic, even good magic, needs a touch of darkness. Usually when the magic is being used against evil it will require something sinister to give it the power needed to vanquish that very evil. Jo you did not know you were a witch let alone a very powerful witch until you met Ian. I believe that you needed to borrow darkness in order for your powers to be realized. I think that’s where Ian comes into all of this and that would explain the attraction that brought you two together.”
“Wait a minute,” Ian looked at Lena, his jaw clenched, “Are you saying that in order for Jo to defeat Mia she had to borrow darkness, and that I am that darkness?”
“I believe so,” Lena said nodding.
“I’m sorry Lena, but I don’t know about that. I certainly don’t find anything dark about Ian.” Jo said.
“Oh come on Jo,” said Isabella, “he’s a vampire!”
“Do you think of Marcus as dark or evil?” Jo asked Isabella.
Lena interjected, “Neither of you find either of them dark, but we’re not talking about what any of us think, we’re talking about what is. And the fact is that vampires are considered one of the darkest beings in existence. Let’s not let our personal feelings get in the way. We must remember to think in literal terms when putting these pieces together.”
“Okay,” Marcus said, “let’s just assume that Lena’s right, what does the next line refer to? ‘Eyes of the fertile land reflected in a sea of blue’?”
“Well,” said Isabella, “if we are speaking literally I would think of the fertile land as the earth and sea and sky…”
Lena interrupted, “That’s not literal enough. ‘Fertile land reflected in a sea of blue’ it speaks of the sea separately and does not mention the sky at all.”
“The fertile land, what do you think of when you hear fertile land?” Marcus asked.
“I think we’re forgetting something important here,” said Ian, “it says ‘eyes of the fertile land’. When I think of fertile land I think of land as it was before man came. I think of rich soil and grass and trees which in turn brings to mind the colors of the land, green and brown.” He stared at Jo, “eyes of the fertile land, eyes of brown and green, Jo’s eyes.”
Lean suddenly slapped herself in the forehead. “Of course,” she said, “why didn’t I see it before?” She walked over to where Jo and Ian were sitting, and then she took each of their hands and stood them up then she turned them to face each other. They automatically gazed into each other’s eyes, although they had no idea what Lena was getting at. “Eyes of the fertile land reflected in a sea of blue!” She said matter-of-factly.
“You’re right!” Gasped Marcus, “And that would confirm the first verse. Jo borrows darkness from Ian to free us of Mia, and her eyes reflected in his confirms the connection between them!”
They all sat in quite contemplation for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Jo’s head was spinning. This was far too much information in such a short amount of time. It was all so unreal, like a dream. Vampires, witches, prophecies, it all sounded so absurd. How could they even be sure the prophecy was about her? She had not shown one shred of magical ability to prove that she was a witch. And what about the first part of this prophecy? She borrowed darkness from Ian to rid them of Mia and that’s why they have such a strong attraction. What if there was no Mia and no prophecy? Would that mean her and Ian would not be together? Was the only reason they were attracted to each other because she needed his so called darkness to get rid of Mia?
Jo felt a hand on her back that made her jump, “Are you alright?” Ian asked as he rubbed her back.
“This is just a lot to take in,” she said forcing a smile.
Lena leaned forward on the table, “I know that this is overwhelming Jo, but the more we know the better prepared we’ll be.”
“Yes I know.”
Isabella spoke this time; “Changing of form to inject the light, returning the darkness from whence it came.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Ian exclaimed.
“The rest is a little harder to figure out,” said Marcus.
“Do I have to change something in order to return Mia to where she came from? ”Jo asked.
“But change what?” Ian asked.
“That’s what we need to figure out,” Lena stated
“The last line is pretty straight forward, ‘the final choice is hers alone’. Only Jo can decide to defeat Mia no one can make the choice for her,” Isabella said.
“I think you may be right. We just have to figure out what needs to be changed,” Lena said, “all in all, I think we have done well.”
Ian was looking somber, “Are we done for today?” He asked looking around at them all.
“Yes, I think that’s a good start. We can take some time to think over what we’ve found out, then we can meet again to see if there have been any more ideas. In the mean time I will continue to look for more information,” Lena said getting to her feet.
Everyone stood and headed for the secret door. Lena placed her hand on the door and began her chant and the door slid open. As they began to step through, Lena spoke.
“Jo can I have a word with you?”
“Yes of course,” Jo said.
Ian looked curiously at Lena.
“It’s okay Ian, I’ll be out in a minute,” Jo kissed him sweetly and patted his face, “just one minute okay?”
Ian slowly let go of her hand and the door closed between them. Lena walked to the huge couch in the back of the room. “Have a seat Jo.”
Jo sat down so that she could face Lena.
“You have something you’d like to ask me?” Lena questioned
“How do you know?” Jo asked and then realized whom she was talking to, “Ian said you were a good witch.”
“And so are you, you just don’t know it yet,” Lena responded.
“Lena, do you think the only reason that Ian and I are together is to fulfill this prophecy?” Jo asked desperately.
“Jo I would not presume to know all in the matters of love,” she placed her hand on Jo’s. “It is possible that your attraction
has everything to do with the prophecy and it is also possible that it has nothing to do with the prophecy. Only the two of you know what is between you, but if you want me to tell you for certain, I cannot,” she patted Jo’s hand.
“What about Clair is she a witch?” Jo asked.
“She is definitely a witch Jo, she is your daughter. The question is will she have the powers of a witch? That I cannot answer. As you have seen a witch’s powers can come out at anytime, and sometimes they never do at all.”
“Do you think that I should tell her? About me being a witch and the possibility that she could be.”
“That is a decision for you to make. Do keep in mind that knowing is always better than not knowing, but you are her mother and no one else has the right to decide except for you and whatever you decide to do will be the right decision,” Lena said patiently.
“It doesn’t seem that you can tell me anything for certain,” Jo noted.
“That’s because nothing is certain my dear. Things are changing all of the time and many factors influence our decisions, which in turn influence the path our lives will take. I do think however that it would be a good idea if you spent some time here with me maybe an hour or two each day. I will try and teach you all that I know and help you to hone your powers, although I can tell that you still don’t believe you have them,” Lena said looking kindly at Jo.
“How can I?” Jo shrugged, “I haven’t shown so much as an inkling of magic.”
“You first have to believe it. You cannot nurture something that you do not believe in.”
“I’ll try,” Jo said.
Lena walked her to the door, “One thing that I want you to keep in mind is that magic is connected to our emotions. You must keep a level head at all times, this is very important.” Then she said her chant and the door slid open, “Will I see you tomorrow then?”
“Yes, I’ll be here,” Jo answered.
Ian took her by the hand and led her out of the store, “Is everything okay?”
“Lena thinks it would be a good idea if I spent some time with her to learn about my powers and how to use them.”
“I think that’s a great idea.” Ian stopped and turned to face Jo, “Do you mind if I give Clair the amulet?”
“What? Why do you want to do that?” Jo asked.
“I thought it would be a good ice breaker if I brought her a gift,” he smiled.
Jo laughed as she handed him the box.