12th June

It has been two weeks since we buried my mother. Her words still haunt me.

I swear she was possessed. She was spouting nonsense about Lexi’s fate.

She claimed Lexi would die young after meeting her fated and would die at the hands of vampires… VAMPIRES! The treaty is still strong; we lived in the most harmonious times.

I should investigate further. She did leave another prophecy, too.

Lexi’s powers would be locked away during her rites.

Her hallucinations were a little too intense; Mum believed them wholeheartedly.

- A Laughing Nick

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“Leo… I can walk; put me down.”

“Not a chance, the nurse said you should take it easy.”

“I can handle the walk from the car to my house!”

He shook his head and feigned concern, “Not a chance.”

I laughed at his silliness.

It had been eight days since the incident at the Abbey, and I was finally allowed home.

I had visits from the coven. They kept me entertained from boredom and brought my favourite sweets and snacks. I was still poked and prodded for blood tests. I was given the all-clear from the doctor.

From day one, Leo was doting… but treated me like I was fragile, about to break any second.

He paused, putting me down on my feet to open the door. I quickly bolted inside into the kitchen.

“Oi!” he shouted after me.

I giggled and hopped onto the kitchen counter and filled the kettle.

I heard the front door shut, and a loud thud hit the floor. As the kettle popped, he appeared in the doorway. I swung my feet, getting two cups ready.

“Tea?”

He stalked closer, eyes never leaving mine; I knew that glint; it was the same one he gave when holding himself back. My smile shifted to coy.

‘Let’s play a game.’

He trapped me on the counter, a hand on my waist, the other on my neck. My hands found his shoulders as he leaned in.

I sighed as he kissed me sweetly and quickly.

“For god's sake, Leo!”

He chuckled, “Doctors orders. No strenuous activity.”

I groaned disappointed, and leaned forward, kissing his cheek as he poured the hot water. I could feel his heat radiating, and his smell always made me weak at the knees. It was musky-like sandalwood mixed with sweet apples.

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I watched his jaw twitch as I pulled him closer, and my hands snaked to his hair, kissing the muscle under his jaw.

“Lex,” he warned, his voice was strained.

“I missed you,” I breathed in his ear, and he groaned.

Picking me up from the counter, he marched up the stairs. Giggling, I continued on his jaw.

‘Game over.’

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Later that evening, I leaned against Leo on the sofa, glancing through a book on past lives.

“Ah, of course! Scrying. The perfect way to start.”

“Hm,” Leo agreed, “but depending on what we use, we won’t have control over what we see,”

“Ah, true. We could try the spells listed here, but again, no control.”

“I suppose we have to start somewhere, though.” His lips touched my shoulder, and he looked at the page.

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Scrying is a form of divination, like a pendulum or tarot cards. As famously cliché as the crystal ball was, it was a form of scrying. The future constantly changes; it could vary from when you know a lot.

The past was a little easier to investigate, but if we did indeed have many past lives, we might not be able to pick and choose which one to see… we could end up with Anna and Edward all over again.

There were many mediums to choose from: water, air or smoke, fire, mirrors and certain crystals – like the glass ball or obsidian could be used.

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“Grandma Greenwood – My mum’s mum – was a fan of looking into her past lives… Maybe she has some spells or how-to’s.”

I closed the book and looked back at him.

“Well, it's better than talking to my mother about what she knows.”

“Have you told your dad about that?”

“Nah. Not yet, I didn’t want to worry him, especially after Ma.” His hand played with a lock of my hair.

I nodded, “How is your Ma?”

“Braxton hicks and she is grumpy, but both are good.”

I laughed, trying to imagine Cynthia being grumpy.

The front door opened, “We’re home!”

I sat up too quickly as the smell of food hit my nose and hissed as pain shot through my chest; it took my breath a little.

“Soona,” Leo soothed up my spine.

My mum appeared in the doorway, “Did we scare you?”

Wincing, I replied, “No, too eager for Chinese…”

She laughed and set the food down. Alex came in with plates.

“Been researching, have we?” Mum gestured to the book.

“Yes. I am hoping to keep the necklace out of this.”

She hummed in agreement, “If you can’t get any answers, you will have to wait until it’s cleansed.”

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I was silent momentarily, nibbling on a spring roll, “Grandma Greenwood…She did scry into her past lives, didn’t she?”

My mum was silent for a moment, “Yes, she dabbled. Although, she came out with some wild stories.”

“Oh?” I chuckled.

Mum smiled in fondness, “Yes. She was right about one thing. You.”

My eyebrows scrunched, and Mum smiled more expansive, “A strong girl with blonde hair and green eyes. All the prenatal nurses were adamant you were a boy,” she laughed.

“Did she say anything about me?” Alex asked.

“Probably how annoying you are,” I gibed back.

He glared over at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“Lexi, be nice,” Leo teased.

My mum shook her head but answered Alex’s question, “Yes. You’d look like my father, your grandad.”

“But those stories aren’t wild…?” Alex pondered.

I was thinking the same thing while slurping noodles. Mum thought about it while filling her plate. I could tell she was thinking, debating about her following words.

“So many to choose from,” she sighed and huffed a small laugh, “I remember one. I forgot about it, then worried it would come true,

“She once told me you would die before me, and I should watch out for crows.” She laughed wholeheartedly.

I sprayed onto my drink, taken aback, “Crows?” I grunted out.

I looked at Leo; he had stopped chewing and stared at my mum. My mum looked between us, shocked and slowly nodded. I coughed a little more.

After finishing his bite, Leo asked, “What did she say exactly?”

She tilted her head away slightly, “What’s going on?”

I sighed, “Remember when I said I kept hearing Grandma Langton’s voice? Well, I keep hearing the same thing: ‘Fix the cycle. Beware of the crows’, and now you’re telling me Grandma Greenwood said the same thing?”

Mum grimaced, “I will see if I can find her book, but yes, Beware of the Crows.”

Leo and I glanced at each other, both confused.

This was now the third person who mentioned a cycle of death. I was uneasy and could feel my anxiety rising. Leo put a hand on my lower back and, with his thumb, made small circles.

He leaned in, sensing my unease, “We will figure it out,” he reassured in my ear. I nodded and took a deep breath to try and calm my anxiety. I was glad to have green tea already brewed to soothe my nerves.

Buzz, Buzz.

Leo glanced at the message on his phone.

“Uh oh,” he murmured and quickly tapped on his phone.

“What?” I ask, tensing up.

“Ma’s in hospital. She’s in labour.”