Amalgamate: Book 1 in the Rowan McKellan Series

both.

Forward:

Change is an inevitable constant in all of our lives, none of us are exempt. Whether you are an optimist, a realist or a pessimist, change comes with trepidation because the unknown invariably creates angst over uncertain outcomes.

Our fortitude is often determined by the extent to which we have to adapt and how effective our adaptations prove to be when we attempt to amalgamate with our new world.

Letting the familiar go, accepting these uncertainties for what they are and acknowledging the personal transformations they will invoke will be paramount in our ability to truly embrace a change; however, when all the cards are down, it is the speed and efficiency we exhibit while moving through the sequence of stages that will determine whether or not we survive.

Regardless of how we handle it, change is coming. So, let’s pull up our big girl panties and start paying attention to captain obvious…or captain hindsight will rule the world.

CH. 1

Father please…you cannot allow her this! It is an abomination to leave one of our kind alone and unprotected in this human world. Deisha had already spoken directly to her sister Lepleya and her husband Riat about her feelings to no avail. After seeing the twins they had made up their minds about splitting them up. It didn’t matter how strong they were or how many allies they had. They feared Vertigen’s prophecy was proving true…and they couldn’t allow one of their children to be indoctrinated into Vertigen’s liege.

It is not your decision, nor is it mine Deisha. His eyes fell to the mosaic stepping stones decorating the ground between them. His daughters had worked diligently on this masterpiece together as children, but Deisha and Lepleya were worlds apart from that now.

Deisha’s optimistic gaze let her father know exactly what she was thinking, he would help her in this and everything would be alright. As powerful as she was, she was also young and naive in the ways of this world. Olian watched his daughter’s eyes fill with tears at the lack of his response, slowly realizing what was happening.

Deisha didn’t need words, his face said it all.

He couldn’t look at her as he spoke the next words because she would see through his facade. Averting his eyes he said the only thing he could, Lepleya and Riat will do what they feel is best for their children. Olian looked to Lepleya. He didn’t understand her reasoning anymore than Deisha did, but he couldn’t undermine Riat either…he was the child’s father after all.

Please, let me take her, I beg you both. Deisha knew she was young but she was also a powerful and gifted sorceress. Highly skilled in the arts of illusion and magic, she was confident she could care for her niece. She’d never begged for anything in her life, not from anyone, but she knew with every fiber of her being that this child belonged with her family…not hiding amongst an intolerant race like the humans.

We have decided Deisha. It will be done. Lepleya handed the fragile new born baby to her, Hold her and say your good byes little sister. She leaves within the hour. Lepleya had never seen her little sister on fire like this. Deisha wasn’t a fighter…never had been. But, Lepleya held her sister’s eyes determined to make her understand that she would not be swayed…her decision was final.

How can you do this? You are her mother… Deisha enveloped the child in her warm embrace forging off the cooling temperatures of the night air.

Vertigen will find her if we keep her here. We have no choice, we have to hide her. Lepleya could sense the weakness in her female offspring and she despised it. Maybe that was why she could give her away so easily? She had another child depending on her to protect him, a strong son who would make her proud. A son who she believed would one day rule them all.

Deisha gently pulled the infant into her chest, nestling her in her arms. You do have a choice. She could feel the panic rising up like bile. Her words became more frantic, I’m so close to opening a realm of my own…one that no one could enter. I could take her to another dimension. Vertigen will never find her, I won’t allow it Lepleya. I will protect her with my life. Please… She sighed deeply, inherently knowing it mattered not what she said or did because this child was leaving their family’s home tonight. Through sobs, she continued, Please, I am begging you…please, don’t leave her with humans. Deisha held the baby to her lips inhaling her sweet innocence as she showered the infant’s red locks with soft warm kisses. She was so much smaller than her twin brother…so petite and fragile. How would she survive out there alone with humans? How would she learn about who she was or what she could do without them to guide her? Deisha’s eyes were swollen from crying.

Realizing that her sadness served no purpose here tonight, other than to fuel her rage, she felt a fundamental physical change within her. An energy was building to a precipice that she feared she would be unable to contain.

Riat looked to his wife, Lepleya. He knew his eyes would give him away and his wife would see the weakness within him but, he was torn…everything was moving too quickly. He had been against this decision from the beginning, wanting to take his chances and keep his little girl with him but in the end, he would honor the wishes of his mate.

Lepleya cocked her head and pursed her lips tightly. Even though she saw the doubt in his eyes, she had no intention of changing her plan. She moved her head slowly from side to side while holding her husband’s eyes, indicating a very firm ‘No’. She would not be budged in her decision. Keeping the twins together meant more risk to her son. The son she would raise and train to rule over them all…like the prophecy declared. Her son was as strong as the roots of a Willow tree burrowed deep within the ground conquering everything it touched. But her daughter, she was as fragile as a twig snapped under foot. The choice was clear, she would not sacrifice him for her.

Deisha had to plan but there wasn’t time, she’d never imagined this would be the child’s fate. Crying she silently vowed to herself that she would find her niece, there was no stone she would leave unturned in her pursuit. She caught Riat’s eyes and looked upon him with disgust. Staring him down, she knew she had to play the only card she had left. She needed to drive a wedge between Lepleya and Riat, She will never forgive you for this. You are her father, how can you permit this lunacy?

You have one hour before I leave Deisha. No one will accompany me. Riat’s words were firm showing support for his mate; however, the underlying barely noticeable shaking in his voice gave him away. He was clearly saddened by their decision.

I never would have thought the two of you to be cowards. I guess I was wrong about that. Disgust dripped from the only words she could muster in a last ditch effort to get them to change their minds.

You can spend this time arguing with us or enjoying her. What is it to be sister? Lepleya folded her arms over her chest defensively.

Deisha abhorred both of them for this, but she kept her vow of revenge to herself. If you do this…if you give my niece away…I’m done with you both forever.

Don’t threaten me little sister. Lepleya took a step toward her.

It’s not a threat. I will never speak to either of you again after this night. Deisha had always respected her sister but tonight she wanted to strangle her and watch as she faded away. She’d never felt an anger burn so hot within her before.

Deisha, this is a difficult time. Please… Olian stepped between his daughters. No matter what he said or did, this would divide his family nucleus. They had always been together, done everything as one but…that would all change after tonight.

Fuck difficult. You wanna know what’s gonna be difficult? This little girl’s life if you do this to her. I’m taking her for a stroll in the garden. Father, will you please walk with us? Deisha had to do something, time was running out and she couldn’t fix stupid. She needed a spell to track her but she had to get her father alone because she hadn’t learned that yet.

Of course. Olian put his arm around Deisha to comfort her. He’d never heard her speak like this. Her tone was as sharp and piercing as the Katakana sword, cutting through a lifetime of traditions and experiences severing her ties to Lepleya permanently. Her words were delivered so harshly and with such feeling behind them that Olian knew his daughter spoke the truth. Deisha was visibly more distraught over the infant’s imminent departure than Lepleya which made perfect sense to him despite the fact that Lepleya was the child’s mother. Deisha had always been his sensitive, warm hearted, loving and loyal daughter whereas Lepleya had always been his closed off, frigid and uncompromising daughter. Lepleya acted first and thought later…this would be the gravest mistake of her life. She just couldn’t see it yet…the anger was too prominent in the moment.

Olian observed them both, still so very different from each other. Lepleya was always the one who flew solo, never needing anyone save her mate. She made hasty decisions typically driven by her emotions. Lepleya wasn’t a feeler and she certainly wasn’t a talker. Her quick, hot temper drove her to fight. She was her father’s warrior. Then there was Deisha, the quiet, peaceful, non-confrontational daughter. The daughter who was always surrounded by her loyal friends, too many to count. Deisha was an intellectual, a feeler and a strategist, but never a warrior.

It broke his heart to see Deisha in so much pain. It rolled off her in waves now. Lepleya’s decision to give away her daughter would surely kill Deisha unless she changed everything about herself and pursued this little child with an unparalleled vengeance like nothing she had ever known.

When Deisha was sure they were alone she spoke with her father telepathically, an ability her sister had not inherited. Father, he will find her there, you know that. There are spies everywhere and look at her, she’ll stand out like a sore thumb. We have to disguise her. I was thinking about one of your dampening spells? With her red hair and violet eyes, we may as well send Vertigen a damn map.

I have been thinking the same thing. While Olian couldn’t go against Lepleya’s wishes to hide the child amongst the humans. He recognized that the child’s features would never pass for human, and he wondered why Lepleya or Riat hadn’t approached him about the infant’s appearance. Stretching his large palm and lanky fingers over the infant’s face he began a soft chant.

Deisha watched but she saw nothing. Then she felt the warmth of his power wash over both her and the baby.

Olian saw the worry in his daughter’s eyes, Don’t worry my love. The spell will alter her physical appearance very slowly over the next couple hours. Lepleya and Riat will never know we interfered, but her eye color will gradually morph from violet to hazel and her hair will be calmed down from her fiery red to a dull brown. She will be nothing more than average, no one of consequence. She will pass for human…as long as her powers don’t manifest themselves.

…and when they do? When the transition takes hold… what then? Deisha was still learning these complicated spells from her father.

Her powers will be dampened as well…at least for a while. However, there will come a time when her body will eventually overpower my spell, and when it does she’ll need a hell of a lot more than training.

What do you mean father? Deisha looked into the infant’s sparkling violet eyes. She was happy now, of course, she had no idea what her parents were getting ready to do to her.

She won’t trust any of us for doing this to her. You know that right? Olian looked directly into his daughter’s beautiful swollen eyes as he stroked his grand daughter’s fiery red hair.

Deisha’s eyes were red and agitated from crying. How could they keep one child…the stronger child… and cast the weaker one out? Her eyes drifted over the child squirming in her arms looking for anything that may help her find her, trying to remember every single thing she could.

He had no answers for her, but standing in their family’s beautiful garden, surrounded by flowers in perpetual bloom, listening to her talk about standing up to Vertigen and swearing off future contact with her sister, Olian realized that when the chips were down…Deisha was his warrior, not Lepleya. He wondered why he hadn’t seen it before, she was the mirror image of his wife Etain. He had never been more proud of any of his children than he was at this moment. They’re scared Deisha. People don’t think logically when they’re scared. Vertigen is more powerful than any of us. We need time to align the factions if we are to fight him.

She wiped the tears from her face and kissed the tiny girl one last time. Her eyes hardened, and she breathed deeply, Give me time father. I will rid this dimension of Vertigen. Forever! Her eyes focused in on her niece, hoping that some time in the future the child would be able to recall her image and the feelings that transpired between them at this moment. She kissed her tiny little nose and for just a split second considered running with her…

You know I can read your mind. You can’t run with her Deisha. He had to admit a part of him wanted her to try though.

Deisha stared her father down and for the first time she was confident that she too was a fighter… to the death if necessary. Her attitude and demeanor were highly volatile, which surprised them both. Lepleya had always been the soldier, but now, when it really mattered, Deisha was the one stepping up to the plate with the intention of kicking ass and taking names.

You have a few decades at most Deisha and they are going to fly by. Thirty years is no time at all to us as immortals, but that is all she has before she starts to transition. Olian gently lifted the baby from Deisha’s arms, kissed her forehead and whispered in her tiny little ear. You will not forget this moment precious grand daughter of mine. I love you.

They didn’t even tell us her name father. The sweet smell of jasmine wafted in the air around them. Deisha leaned into the baby, showering her cheeks and forehead with soft warm kisses. Deisha’s tears littered the infant’s gown, a sorrowful moment that would be etched into her memory for all time and forever triggered by the aroma of honeyed jasmine.

It doesn’t matter what they call her. She will always be ours. He placed his palm to Deisha’s wet cheek. It will be alright my loves. He looked to his grand daughter and bestowed upon her a promise, We love you. You are one of us and we will always protect our own.

What about a tracking spell father? Deisha’s mind was in perpetual motion, unable to stop thinking of her options she searched the confines of her mind for any possible alternatives or solutions.

Deisha, Lepleya is my daughter. I cannot. He pulled her face upward so their eyes could meet. I love you both, and I will not go against Lepleya, but in that same vein, I will always help you my love. We will find her. I promise.

That does me no good tonight. Deisha gently wrapped the delicate baby in the blanket she’d made her long before any of this had transpired. She’d been so excited at the prospect of being an aunt that she had learned how to sew. The pink fleece fabric she’d chosen was softer and warmer than cotton. She had embroidered a Rowan tree into the fabric of the blanket to symbolize strength and protection never knowing just how badly she would need it. I will find you baby girl. She paused taking in a breath as she felt a surge of emotion nearly take her over, I will come for you…trust in that.

You are not alone sweet child, and there is no place they can hide you that we can’t find. Olian swaddled the child snugly in her blanket and handed her back to his daughter for a final good bye.

Deisha held her niece one last time before placing the child back into Olian’s arms, I cannot hand her over to them father, you’ll have to do that. I fear I will harm them…no, I will do worse than that. I feel myself capable of killing them both for this betrayal. Folding her arms sternly across her chest, her rage reached an unprecedented roiling boil. She was done crying. She’d never felt anything like the rage rushing through her now. Sensing it peaking to a place where she would no longer be able to control her actions but rather, she chose to be governed by her hatred and rage. A dangerous cocktail when it came to revenge.

Olian, sensing the storm within her, held her eyes. His words were firm and full of promise, You will be with her again Deisha. You will study, practice and learn with me. You will strategize and you will search to the ends of the earth for her…as will I. Olian turned from her and headed back to the house. He could endure his daughter’s pain no longer.

The baby started wailing as soon as she lost physical contact with Deisha. She listened to her niece’s ear piercing cries as they floated through the night air. She was unable to move, immobilized by the pain in her heart, but she whispered a plea to the heavens, May the gods protect you child, until they can lead me to you.

As Olian’s figure walked farther off into the night with the child, her legs went weak beneath her. She threw her arms out and braced herself for the fall but nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught of pain that enveloped her when they disappeared. Her heart was being ripped from her chest and the intense aching was foreign to her…like nothing she’d ever felt before. The only certainty she knew right now was that she would never hate anyone more than she hated Lepleya and Riat at this moment.

She watched as distant shadows mingled in the moonlight for only seconds before the cries were snuffed out. Riat had sifted away, taking the screaming infant…her niece, with him. His whereabouts unknown to all.

****

Riat’s son never cried, but his daughter always cried when he held her. It was as if she’d known their plan for her all along. He wondered if she could sense his betrayal, maybe his cowardice? He knew he wasn’t protecting her as a father should, but perhaps even at her young age she knew it too? Maybe she had sensed weakness in him all along?

He had cowed to the Lepleya’s wishes because, as the child’s mother, he trusted that she knew best. He stared into his daughter’s tiny, swollen, almond eyes. Losing himself in the violet abyss. She’d cried so hard when Deisha let her go that her little lungs were gasping for air. He held her to his chest in one last fatherly attempt to comfort her. Thinking surely she would sleep after all that crying.

But no, she continued whaling inconsolably as Riat laid her at the foot of the steps leading into the orphanage. He’d never be enough for her and what he was doing now, leaving his fragile little newborn daughter at the foot of a building for a stranger to find, just solidified that for him.

As he laid his daughter down, all the second thoughts he’d been having about this decision nearly overtook him. He thought about picking her up and sifting right back to Lepleya to discuss other options, but in the end he knew his wife well enough to know that her mind was made up…and there was no changing that. If Lepleya thought this was safer for their daughter, he had to honor her wishes.

Watching his delicate baby girl in her bassinet frantically batting her tiny pale arms at her pink fleece, he knew this would be the only decision in his life he would regret. Regardless of what Lepleya said, his daughter was going to be powerful one day. He could feel it…and someday she would hold him accountable for his actions on this night.

His calloused hands swept delicately over her cheeks. It was clear to him that even though she was only a few hours old, innately she knew she was being abandoned by the people who should’ve loved her the most…that she was being ripped from the only world she ever should have known.

After surveying the street in front of the orphanage Riat returned to his daughter to whisper his farewell, Good bye my love. He kept it short knowing he was already on borrowed time. Because, if he didn’t leave soon he wouldn’t be able to leave her here at all. He leaned down for one last kiss and that’s when he saw it…the Rowan tree embroidered on her blanket. He knew it wasn’t from Lepleya, that wasn’t her style.

He remembered the stories of the Rowan tree. They had been passed down through generations of both lore and humans.

Resilience, balance and beauty were how the Celtics described the Rowan tree. He had seen and heard of both oral and written historical accounts explaining how the branches were used by ancients to construct divination tools. Rowan was frequently used to attract powers deemed essential for protection, sanctuary, and seclusion. It was long believed that when a person constructed magical tools from the branches of the Rowan tree, psychic intuition was heightened.

The pristinely white flowers of the Rowan tree were a symbol of cleansing thereby invoking protective energies. Berries that sprung from the Rowan tree, having a tiny five pointed star, were seen as ancient symbols of protection commonly known as the pentagram. Humans were convinced that the bark and berries of the tree, when carried by a person, aided in their recuperation.

Throughout history much confidence was given to the protective qualities of the Rowan tree, such as it’s ability to spare a person from unwanted influences. Even as far back as the ancient druids it was believed that the Rowan tree was a sacred container for energies that protected individuals in it’s proximity from evil spirits. Mothers would even sew small pieces of a Rowan tree into their children’s clothing to guard them from capture by evil fairies.

But more importantly, Riat remembered the tree being hardy, incredibly diverse and at times it could even be found growing inside other trees….hiding. He placed his hand over the small little tree and spoke to his daughter, May your aunt work swiftly my love…

Rising from his knees he knocked on the door and left before he even saw anyone answer. He sifted back to his wife, son, and home with a grief in his heart that was so heavy he thought it would surely drag him to the depths of his own despair.

One cool fall evening there was a knock on the orphanage door. It was far too late for visitors. When Father MacGregor swung the heavy wooden doors open he found a tiny infant girl in a wicker bassinet at the top of the stairs of his orphanage. Entranced by the beautiful ivory Rowan tree embroidered on the child’s pink receiving blanket he lifted the child to his chest. He deemed this a sign and saw this tiny infant as another example of how clarity associated with a higher purpose can be found where you are least compelled to look… and that is why he took the seemingly unadorned baby girl into his care…and called her, Rowan.

CH.2

Unlike her mind, firing like a piston, her body remained motionless under the cascading streams of warm water falling from her oversized waterfall shower head.

Comfortable. God damn it! She’d gotten too comfortable with her premonitions…that was the only explanation for the grave mistake she’d made tonight.

Slamming her fists into the tiled shower wall she squeezed her eyes shut. She hated herself for being so inept. Her senses were off because she hadn’t tuned in enough, maybe that was it? Maybe she’d grown too reliant on Ian and his crew? That was just an excuse! She hated excuses and she wouldn’t be making any for what had happened tonight. Nope, she’d own her mistakes tonight just like she had done her entire life.

Her whole body was on fire and her mind was spinning in all different directions…she had to re-group and pull her shit together. Fucking think!

She lowered her eyes to the tiled floor watching her blood soaked clothing absorb the warm water and then continue its journey downward. The thick reddish brown ooze circled the drain under her feet.

She’d led her team into the slaughter…unknowingly of course. Aw hell, she wanted to yell at herself. That made two excuses in less than five minutes and she wasn’t that person…never had been an excuses kind of girl.

She placed her palms against the cool tile wall to stabilize herself. As the room began to spin out of control, her vision blurred. The first signs of yet another one of her insufferable headaches. They were increasing in both frequency and duration, it had to be the insurmountable stress she was under. She was working on too many cases at once but lately it seemed as though they were coming at her from all angles.

She couldn’t afford to think about herself right now because she’d lost two tonight. Two. Son of a bitch! She’d never lost a teammate on a raid with Ian. She hadn’t even prepared herself for that.

Memories from earlier tonight would be forever burned into her brain. Even as they lay dying they had been brave. Holding her gaze, telling her not to worry and assuring her that it wasn’t her fault. Her mind perseverated on their dying images, unable to think of anything else. She didn’t know how she would ever look herself in the mirror again…or return to her job. She’d fucked up royally and the people who had relied on her had paid the ultimate price tonight.

Trying to make sense of it all, she closed her eyes and thought back to earlier in the evening when she’d given the information to Ian’s team. They were looking for a man who had disappeared, a bounty hunter. Rowan’s premonitions had lead them to this seemingly abandoned warehouse. Standing in the darkened tree line just fifty yards away she’d sensed animals, not people. But, the hokey thing about it all, the thing that hadn’t really registered until now was that these animals were accompanied by empty pockets. Hollowed out spaces, void of life, like a tangible nothingness.

It had made sense to her that there would be dogs guarding the warehouse so, she’d given her team the all clear. There was no other perceptible danger in their vicinity…or so she thought.

Memories from just hours ago overtook her, pulling her into her darkest doldrums she’d ever known. She’d been in some very dark places as a child but she’d never felt this kind of sadness or guilt. She buried herself under the streams of water attempting to relieve the pressure building in her head readying to explode like a geyser. But, it was no use. She knew that. She was physically experiencing the connections racing back and forth across her cerebellum making her brain hurt even more. These headaches were coming on her fast now, and she knew the only option she had was to let it ride itself out…endure it…like all the others before.

No matter how hard she tried, her left brain took over. There was no time for emotional undoing, she started rationalizing every move she’d made that had landed her in this place…on Ian’s team. ‘How the fuck had she gotten here? Gotten to a place where she was responsible for the deaths of others? ’ For some reason, the left brain problem solving person that she was severed the ensuing emotional breakdown and instead focused on the past…flashing back to the very first time she’d had a dream…or what she now knew her dreams to be…visions.

All her life she’d known she wasn’t anything to write home about. She was simply average…plain and unnoticeable. She enjoyed her solitude, always had. An observer who liked to watch and study human behavior rather than interact with it. She’d always felt emotionally tuned out or cut off, but hell, being abandoned by her own parents had set her up for failure in the social department. Rather than making connections with people, who lifelong experience had taught her would only let her down, she learned to live alone.

Long before finishing college she’d decided that she wanted a career that had nothing to do with people; however, because her math and logical reasoning scores had been so advanced, she had been pursued by large companies around the world to be a part of their financial development and business planning teams before she’d even graduated. She knew herself well enough to know she wasn’t a team player though, never had been so. She developed her own consulting firm.

As a private consultant her job was to review data and make suggestions to companies about how to increase their revenue. Her job was black and white, her decisions were made based on hard data which meant she didn’t need to interact with others. She simply summarized the data and made recommendations in writing…which ensured no human interaction.

At first it was perfect, the only interaction she had with others was via e-mail. She had many clients and was usually dead on when predicting the successes or failures of the companies she worked for. She had made a lot of money and managed to save most of it. She had everything she wanted.

But lately she seemed to be having more days when she wished for something more. Maybe even someone? But, then something or someone would remind her of the hardships associated with relationships and she would remind herself to be thankful for her solitude. It was the first time she could remember having a mental ping pong game of feelings or emotions bouncing around in her head. Until now, she’d always been so sure about each and every decision she’d ever made. She hated second guessing herself, and she couldn’t really put her finger on what had changed.

Just before her twenty fifth birthday a gift was bestowed upon her. One she never saw coming.

A small town called Willows, Georgia came to her in her dreams every night for weeks in a row. Calling to her. Each night her dream played out like a familiar scene in a movie she’d watched a hundred times. It started off with her on a motorcycle- the wind in her hair and the sun on her skin. She was on a two lane road in the deep south and within moments she rode right past and antique wooden sign with faded paint. It read, ‘Welcome to Willows, Georgia’ and she smiled, something she rarely ever did in her waking hours.

In the dream she parked her bike in front of an old yellow two story home with white shutters. A wrap around porch encircled the home inviting her in. The yard was dominated by Weeping Willows. The feeling she’d gotten was that they were guarding the home…but from what?

In her dream, she climbed the three steps and turned right, following the worn wooden planks around to the back of the house. Behind the quaint country style home the willows hung over a steadily moving river that flowed into a still pond. In her dream she always climbed into the boat carefully half expecting some monstrosity to emerge from the depths of the river.

There was something dark…something foreboding, but she could never figure out what it was. Floating silently in a weathered row boat beneath the vines of the willows the only thing she heard were the sounds of nature all around her. And then the darkness faded, she was at peace…it was as though she had finally found her place in the world.

Every night it was the same, lying in the bottom of the drifting boat watching the trees pass by above her. In her dream she laid still until the boat ceased forward movement. And it always stopped near a run down antique covered bridge. As soon as she lifted her head she saw the population sign for the city of Willows.

Problem was, it wasn’t standing still, but instead it was like watching an odometer slowly moving backwards. Something was going on in this town. She felt it more strongly than most of her visions. People were disappearing or leaving?

After months of restless nights she decided to look up the town. She half expected that the town wouldn’t exist but the stronger part of her…her gut told her that it did…and that this premonition had to do with her.

At one point she’d even considered taking a vacation to visit the town to see if the wooden sign with the faded paint or the plantation style yellow home with white shutters even existed.

Lately she’d been wishing she could live a little more free and easy like Dierks Bentley sang about, but she was a planner by nature. She was torn… which stoked many nights of internal dialoguing. Part of her wanted to venture out and see if there was anything to these dreams she was having. In contrast, there was another part of her that couldn’t imagine leaving the comforts of her home.

Her dreams became increasingly more vivid until at last she couldn’t tolerate the mystery anymore. She decided to find out if the place actually existed.

Change was very hard for her, but somehow she knew this was her chance to experience a little of Dierks’ free and easy down the road we go. She compiled a list of the pros and cons of staying where she was or taking a chance and venturing out to Willows…just to see. In the end she was a single woman with no responsibilities and no attachments, so for the first time in her life she took a risk. Road trip!

She didn’t own a motorcycle so, that part of the dream wasn’t coming to light. The two wheel death machines scared her. She owned an emerald green Dodge Charger which was also very fun to drive.

As she neared the outskirts of the town her breath suddenly caught in her lungs. The old wooden sign with the fainted paint she’d seen in her dream was there, on the edge of town. Seeing it actually gave her the heebie jeebies…she’d never believed in psychic premonitions. But, the day after she arrived in Willows, Georgia to visit she knew she’d never leave because the dreams stopped the first night she was there making her feel an unparalleled sense of peace and belonging.

Further exploration of the town had led her to a covered bridge. And just one mile up the river from the covered bridge she had seen night after night for weeks in her dreams, she found an old run down southern plantation style home on an acre of land…it was yellow with white shutters. Without even walking through it, she put an offer in on the house that same afternoon.

Even now she couldn’t explain the overwhelming sense of urgency she experienced when she saw the house that day. It was like nothing she’d ever felt before…she had to have the house. Luckily, she’d saved every dime she ever made.

She’d never traveled as she preferred her space and solitude. She didn’t buy expensive things either, never saw the point. She never entertained or socialized…she preferred simple, clean and private.

After seeing the abandoned home she was sure it was meant for her. It needed repairs but nothing pertinent, nothing that would change her mind. She did most of her work on-line and through e-mail anyway, so she didn’t have to give up her clients. Invariably, the longer she lived there the less interest she had in her job. She could feel it lessening with each passing day as though something better was just on the horizon.

Her new house consumed her, she gutted almost everything and then went on a fierce cleaning streak…and that’s when it happened. For weeks she’d experienced dreamless sleep or at least sleep without visions.

Her visions of the weeping willows over the river had ceased but after a four week stint of nothing special….a new dream had surfaced to replaced it…with far more gruesome pictures. Every night her dreams were visions about solving heinous, grisly crimes. She couldn’t figure out why she was pulled to this small town but, she had an innate feeling that she was exactly where she belonged.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that her dreams were premonitions and that she should report what she was seeing to law enforcement in case it would help them save someone or solve a case. Initially, her visions were so accurate that law enforcement officials were certain she’d taken part in the crimes she was solving which scared her. That wasn’t anything she’d ever even considered.

When Rowan was little she’d been diagnosed with Anthropophobia, a fear of people. But she’d known her doctor hadn’t done a thorough evaluation on her. Rowan wasn’t afraid of people, never had been. She just didn’t want to be around them…or to rely on them, because she knew they would only let her down.

But if she was going to this job then she was at a point in her life where she needed to be around others even if she really didn’t care much for people because she clearly needed an iron clad alibi. So, she started spending all of her free time at the gym. She figured it would serve a dual purpose. She could get out of the house for a few hours as well as have a solid alibi without having to actually engage with others.

She quickly figured out that whenever she solved a crime that particular vision would stop haunting her slumber…and that was her payout. They’d thought she was some kind of quack media junkie who wanted her fifteen minutes of fame, but really what she wanted was uninterrupted sleep with dreams that didn’t haunt her waking hours.

Her outlook on life was simple, if she wasn’t going to gain anything from getting involved, she wasn’t going to get involved. Selfish? Yeah but, she’d been looking out for herself her whole life cuz for damn sure no one else ever had. And now, she needed the dreams to stop for her own sanity.

Invariably, the small town good ol’ boy detectives in her pseudo metropolis city of Willows had to admit that she was not a person of interest in the crimes she was solving, but rather she was an exception to the rule. Rowan McKellan was a woman who truly appeared to have a gift…or a curse, depending on where you were sitting.

Before long, she was being interviewed by television reporters right along side the detectives and her face was not only in the local papers but on the television as well. She was so successful that the surrounding police departments hired her on for the public cases that weren’t solved as an extremely well paid private consultant who worked in conjunction with the detectives. She loved the work and immersed herself in it to keep from going crazy. She quit her old job, she no longer had the time nor the inclination to deal with finances…it all seemed so arbitrary compared to what she was doing now. Money didn’t matter. She wanted to catch criminals but more importantly…for the first time in her life…she wanted to help others.

She remembered the first time she really felt as though she’d saved someone. Two years ago the Mercer family hired her to help find their missing daughter Sophie. Rowan had been working closely as a consultant with Captain Paul Brunard and the local law enforcement agency for some time before this personal request came down the pike. She had been involved with different kinds of cases including theft, armed robbery, disappearances and kidnappings, but until now she’d always worked for the police department.

Mrs. Mercer had all but begged Rowan to work for them on the case telling Rowan she was a believer in paranormal abilities. After seeing Rowan on television, Mrs. Mercer trusted her psychic intuition more than the culmination of years of experience any law enforcement team could come to the table with. And she paid more than double because it was her little girl whose life was on the line.

It was the first time she’d ever worked independently on a case, but there were quite a few firsts in this case which was why it was so vivid in her memory even now. It was the first time federal big wigs like Ian Robinson and his team had come to Willows to get involved in a local missing persons case. And it was the first time in her life she ever felt desire for a man…an intense, pulling attraction like magnets that couldn’t be separated.

Even now amidst her emotional breakdown in the shower, Rowan’s heart skipped a beat and her stomach was laden with butterflies when she thought back to the first time she ever saw him. Detective Ian Robinson was six foot four inches of testosterone, intelligence, confidence and swagger. His slender but muscled physique had given her pause which was a big deal because he was the first male in twenty eight years to have this effect on her. To call him handsome wouldn’t do him justice. Words failed her now, just as they had then. No, Ian Robinson was all encompassing and powerful…he was masculinity personified.

With his dirty blonde hair cropped short in a high and tight like a marine he emanated control, but what really left her mesmerized were his eyes. They were the most alarming shade of blue she’d ever gazed upon. She almost couldn’t believe they were real. He was truly a sight to behold and to say she had a hard time averting her gaze would be the understatement of the century.

When he spoke his deep husky voice was direct and commanding. He was clearly a man who was used to being in charge. A man who got down to business because he had not the time nor the interest in games. And the way his team followed him around…it was more than evident to her that he was not only in charge, but that he was highly respected by both of them.

Ian was the lead detective on the Mercer’s missing persons case. He replaced the initial local Willows detective assigned to the case soon after the news media reported that Rowan McKellan, an increasingly well known local psychic in the area, would be working on the case.

When Detective Robinson and his team arrived from New Orleans with their federal badges to take over the case no one was happy about it, and no one seemed to really know who called Ian’s team in. The officers in the local small town precinct had never worked with any special division of the government so they didn’t know what to expect, but they didn’t ask any questions because the Mercer’s had money, and money talked. No one knew that better than law enforcement..of course, she wasn’t law enforcement.

Ian and his team were unlike any other group the locals had ever seen. It was clear that their jobs were their lives. They worked around the clock, always together and never sharing their intel with anyone. It was like none of them had any connections outside of their three person team.

The locals learned quickly. They either got out of Ian’s way, or he ran them over like a damned freight train…never looking back at the debris he left in his path. Ian didn’t give a shit about permission and he damn sure wouldn’t ask for forgiveness. Rowan found everything about Ian from his confidence, tone and facial expressions to his non-verbal communication and gait, to be both alluring and captivating.

Even now, a nasty mess standing in the shower she couldn’t help but think about how closely Ian had watched her in those first few days. Never actually looking at her but rather through her with his piercingly fierce blue eyes. Sometimes she swore he could read her mind, which could have been very embarrassing for her. There were times when she couldn’t even look at him without thinking about touching his broad muscular chest and shoulders or pressing her soft, inexperienced lips to his. The idea of being with him like that gave her the chills. Ian wasn’t an easy man to read, there was something different about him. She just hadn’t pin pointed what it was. He just wasn’t as easy as to read as most people.

But right now, after what happened with their team tonight, all she could do was wait for him to pick up the pieces of her that were shattered in a turn of events that even she,with her impeccably accurate psychic intuition, hadn’t foreseen.

CH

Ian’s team was sent to Willows, Georgia covertly because a specific human woman was having far too much success solving cases via her psychic ability. This had caught the attention of a very desperate sorceress.

Deisha had been searching for her niece for nearly three decades, dispatching small teams across the realm of Earth looking for a human girl who was beginning to exhibit lore traits. They’d never had a name to work from but their biggest problem was, Olian had put a dampening spell on her, so they had no idea what she would even look like either. Locating her niece was proving to be far more challenging than an expert sorceress like herself had ever expected.

She knew that her niece’s dampening spell would be wearing off as she neared her transition which was cause for alarm in and of itself. Remembering the infant’s vibrant red hair and violet eyes gave her pause, but if her powers manifested, she would definitely be identified as something other than human. They needed to find her before the transition started.

Of course, Ian’s team was on it, and he was her best despite his less than positive outlook. He had more than one leg up on the human detectives…who really had no idea what they were actually investigating.

Sophie Mecer, the woman who had gone missing was a young and wily witch who had gotten involved with a human…and there was more than one reason why that was forbidden. But, like everything else that’s forbidden, eventually somebody will break the rules. Prohibition failed and alcohol is still a recession proof industry. Monogamy failed, highest divorce rate in the history of marriage. Drugs failed, schools and jails are riddled with them. And now despite all of the lore’s efforts to keep the races pure, some of them were co-mingling in this realm.

Deisha and her people knew there were other hybrids of course, but none of them had been prophesied to develop unparalleled power and rule this realm at Vertigen’s side. Since the search for the missing twin started, Deisha had been digging into her family history, questioning their heritage. However, despite all her efforts she could never trace their lineage…her lineage, beyond Willa. The question still remained…Where had their family really come from?

Deisha and her team had worked painstakingly for days developing a list of possible traits and characteristics the girl may exhibit based on their genetic heritage, but she had never gotten beyond her great, great, grandmother Willa. So, she worked with what they had.

Ian’s team knew that Rowan’s supposed psychic ability, if it came to its fruition, was either a sorceress’ skill or a witch’s… one of many possible traits in a diverse genetic line-up of an abandoned prophesied twin. No matter how many road blocks were in the way attempting to divert him, Ian’s team had to find her. She was too important…something Deisha had known all along.

After ten years with Deisha, Ian was growing more downtrodden at the prospect of ever finding this girl because he had literally investigated thousands of erroneous claims. Regardless, he would continue in his tireless search because he could never repay Deisha for the personal sacrifice she had made to help him.

Ian remembered pushing his way through the heavy double doors of the precinct and heading down the hall to the captain’s office anxious to finish his interview. He had walked right past his new subject of investigation in the hallway, she wasn’t raising a single red flag. He directed no attention to her. Her meek demeanor and lack of presence demanded no consideration as he read the names on the doors in search of this ‘Brunard’ already knowing she would be another in a long line of fallible investigations. Ian had searched for Deisha’s missing niece across the seven continents over the last ten years investigating every one of Deisha’s off the wall claims. And while he didn’t want to disappoint Deisha, he had to admit to himself that he was starting to doubt the girl’s very existence.

Ian stopped abruptly and waited in the doorway marked ‘Captain’ assuming this was where he needed to be. You must be Detective Robinson. I believe you are looking for me, come in. Captain Brunard hated being forced to work with outside agencies, but politics and pissing contests were a necessary evil in his position.

What kind of circus are you running around here captain? In New Orleans, we don’t let the crazies work on our investigations let alone pay them for it. Ian was agitated before he’d even seen the girl, but now after walking by her, he was extremely frustrated at the thought of spending any more of his valuable time with another quack. He wanted to find the girl for Deisha, but he didn’t even have a name and with the dampening spell…no helpful physical description either. Women with brown hair and hazel eyes were a dime a dozen…and he should know, he’d talked to thousands.

Paul Brunard cleared his throat, an attempt to get a hold of his temper before he spoke. Rowan’s no quack. I assure you. She’s worked on numerous cases with us, but the family paid double for her services, so we couldn’t compete. Cutbacks. He was a little pissy about that one. If Rowan found the girl first she could make his force look inept…and possibly even unnecessary?

I thought she worked for you? Ian closed the door behind him.

Not on this case. She’s privately contracted so, her services go to the highest bidder. Typically we’re the only bidder, but not on this case. The Mercer’s have a lot of money and money is a convincingly strong motivator, as I’m sure you know.

Hmm, well what can you tell me about her other than she’s greedy? Ian started visually perusing the office.

Captain Brunard knew exactly what was happening here. Men like Ian didn’t just show up to help with a case. No, someone a little higher up on the pay scale was interested in Ms. Rowan McKellan…or at least interested in her special abilities. Look, I don’t know why you’re here detective. I certainly didn’t call you in. From the looks of things I’d say you were sent in personally to work with her. Am I right? He wasn’t able to track down the person who’d sent Ian’s team but, somehow innately he knew he shouldn’t dig any deeper. Whenever any government agency came in they always had jurisdiction, it was futile to argue. The captain spoke firmly as he closed the blinds to keep from distracting his curious officers.

You are. Ian wanted to get down to business, he’d had enough of the formalities.

Well, that’s your business but, this is a high profile missing person’s case Detective Robinson and you will be collaborative with my office while conducting your business within my city limits. Is that understood? The captain rested against the front of his desk, arms folded sternly across his chest. The government might have the final say about who did what on this case, but he wanted to let whoever was in charge know that he didn’t appreciate being forced to work with Ian’s skeleton crew.

I do what I’m told captain, but as you are well aware I don’t get my orders from you nor do I report to you. Ian stood, I’ll keep your office in the loop to the extent I’m allowed. He extended his hand. The missing girl was from a very wealthy lore family and somehow she’d gotten involved with a human man. For most lore, that would be a death sentence, but money paid for exceptions. The lore world was not so different from the human world in that regard.

Reluctantly, the captain shook his hand. He hated to admit it, but he was getting a good vibe from Detective Robinson, Great, because she’s here just outside in the hallway waitin’ for an introduction. The captain opened his door and invited her in.

Rowan, how you doin’ kid? Captain Brunard adored Rowan. She’d made his department look very successful over the last two years, and anybody who made him look good was appreciated.

I’ve told you a thousand times Paul…enough with this ‘kid’ racket. She smiled because secretly she liked it. She’d turned twenty eight this year and while she wasn’t one of those women who spiraled into a depression when she thought about her age, she didn’t like the thought of her prime passing her by either. She hugged Captain Paul Brunard warmly. After working with him and his detectives for over two years on some highly sensitive cases, they knew each other well.

He hugged her to him, Ah Rowan, you are a light in a very dark place sweetheart. He was old enough to be her father and he had always spoken to her as though he were. Welcoming her was as natural as drinking his cup of joe in the morning. This is Detective Ian Robinson… and this is Rowan McKellan.

Smiling, she extended her hand to him, Pleasure to meet you Detective Robinson.

He shook her hand. He was a lot of things but, rude wasn’t one of them. Nice to meet you Rowan. Looks like you’re with me. He couldn’t even muster a smile for her after he’d touched her…it wasn’t her. He’d felt nothing. She gave off no vibe at all and with lore there was always something, even the gnomes gave off a little something. Needing a break from all of this fruitless searching he decided to be quick. He would just read her mind and be done with her.

She sensed his apprehension at having to work with her. She was hoping to avoid or maybe forgo dealing with another egocentric, narcissistic prick, but she was convincing herself that she could play that game if that’s how he wanted to do it.

Shall we head downstairs to a private office where we can speak? He could ditch her there for a while and leave Yeina and Shep to babysit her. He needed to eat anyway.

Of course. Thank you captain. She shook his hand before exiting the room. As she headed out of the office and down the hallway she heard Paul utter something under his breath to Ian. She assumed it was a warning to play nice with his favorite little psychic. Obviously Detective Robinson needed a little encouragement. She’d anticipated this resistance because to date, nobody believed in her abilities…at first. But, after two years her tolerance for skeptics, their insistence that she prove herself and their overall shitty superior attitudes toward her were really starting to rub her the wrong way. She exhaled deeply, Here we go.

His strides were longer than hers, catching her in only moments. Mrs. or Miss? He hated small talk, but he had to occupy his mind because right now all he could think about were the valuable resources being wasted meeting with yet another human freak show.

It was his tone that gave him away. He wasn’t interested in working with her at all. Quite frankly, he seemed irritated that he even had to be here. Why was he biding his time with her? She felt the need to cut through the bull shit right off, no sense in engaging in the superficial niceities.

Call me Rowan, and I’m paid by the hour so don’t waste my valuable time with the formalities. We both know you think this whole damn thing is beneath your pay grade detective, so how about you just jump through the captain’s hoops and get on with your busy day.

With his back to her as he led them down the hallway, he couldn’t help but notice the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile, clearly she wasn’t the mild mannered type that he’d initially assessed her to be. Her mousy brown hair, pale skin and quiet demeanor were camouflage…there was something there…hiding just beneath the surface…and he’d missed it.

He continued walking, there was no need to read her mind…she wouldn’t know if she was the missing twin. He had a feeling she would lay everything out there for him, not exactly a poker face kind a girl. She was more of a straight shooter.

Aggressive? Interesting. I pegged you as the overtly docile woman who earns her living by playing nice with the police department while she steals money right out from under their noses. Damn if he wasn’t picking a fight…

Ah yes, well don’t mistake kindness for weakness detective. I have a track record that even a skeptic like you can’t deny, but of course, you would have had to do your homework to know that. So, did you do your homework before you came to meet me today…Detective Robinson? She stared him down. His blue eyes were wide now, taking ever inch of her in. She had his full and complete attention now which made her flush and that pissed her off.

I stand corrected. He locked gazes with her, this one was beginning to peak his interest. Her mouth and her body didn’t seem to be on the same realm. She spoke confidently but her body seemed….unsure.

She busied herself by unpacking her file from