A Promised Prophecy

Chapter Twenty-Six

"There are no wraiths in Silverleaf." I laughed at the answer.

There were forests nearby that, when night hit, wraiths were seen. But those areas were further away than Lizari territory. Even if the witch took out the Lizari, the wraiths wouldn't casually wander to this area, nor would they make it through the barrier placed during lockdown.

"There are now," Cybill responded. As if clockwork, I heard a mournful wail echoing in the night. The sound was haunting, almost as if it were a melody filled with sorrow. I felt my own body respond to the call of the wraith, feeling a heavy weight with each note.

If I were in any other location and under any other circumstances, I wouldn't mind so much but taking a wraith head on, without powers, would be impossible. It wouldn't be a problem as long as I could still see the Crystals and use them to teleport away. However, as the wraiths rolled in, so did the clouds in the sky, blocking the moonlight and Crystals from sight. If I were to leave now, I'd be forced to battle the wraiths.

It seemed too good to be true. Just like James said, Cybill seemed to know something would happen, regardless of how improbable it felt. It was right on track for how a prophecy would work but it was too quickly for her to prophesize again, especially without being asked to prophesize. I quickly glanced at James who seemed to raise his eyebrows, ever briefly at the response, as if he could read my mind.

To play devil's advocate, it was possible, just like the bartender said. If Cybill really was the first person born out of Silverleaf to prophesize, she could hold powers we've never seen before. While improbable for someone to prophesize the way she did, it wasn't impossible. Still, I didn't like her and her extreme views. I was more than happy to believe James when he said Cybill was lying. I wanted to continue my conversation with James and, given how close Est was to Cybill, I wasn't surprised James decided to share his thoughts with me. I needed to get James away from them.

"It's time for me to go now," I announced. Then I turned to James. While Cybill didn't know how we knew each other, she knew we were together earlier. For all she knew, we were good friends. "I'm sure you know I don't have enough magic to protect myself from wraiths. Care to escort an old friend to safety for the night?"

"Sure, man." James offered a nod. I hoped he understood what I was trying to do. Even if he didn't, he still accepted my invite and we could talk more openly at the Vault.

"I cannot foresee the outcome," Cybill warned.

"I'll be fine. And, as the leader of Silverleaf, it's my duty to make sure all its inhabitants are safe, especially a good friend." James climbed through the window without any other direction to the rest of the group. I quickly sped up to follow after him.

Upon stepping outside we both turned our heads to the sky, hoping to get a glimpse of the crystals and avoid battle with a wraith. When that failed, I turned my head on a swivel, trying to catch the direction of the wail.

"Hey, man," he kept the farce alive in case Cybill and Est were watching from the window, then started walking in the direction that led deeper into the forest and away from the city of Silverleaf. A wraith wouldn't enter buildings if the windows and doors were closed. To best protect the people in the bar, we needed to draw their attention away from the open window. "How much will you be able to protect yourself?"

The question was loaded and direct, almost as if he knew the answer already and I wondered if he did. When we first met earlier in the day he chose to change my face in front of Cybill. Could it have been because he didn't trust my judgment to protect myself or wanted to keep me safe for whatever reason? Sure. But did he know that I didn't have magical powers?

"I never mastered the craft," I repeated similar phrasing to what I had used earlier. It either gave him a hint at my current abilities, or just continued to play the part of the persona I had created.

The further into the forest we went, the louder the sound of the wraith became. I wasn't naive enough to think that we were traveling closer to its den. It was hunting us. Just as pigs led to slaughter, without the cover of a building to protect us, the wraith continued to follow us until the haunting and sorrowful melody stopped. A heavy gust of wind blew from behind and I turned around, met with the shrieking sound of a wraith finding its prey.