Secrets Of Sanctuary Hospital Nightmare Of The Dark Shadows (43 page)

“Yes, I do. You were right to warn Lucas not
to take too much. It was David’s indulgence that caused him to age
so quickly and killed him.”

“How do you know this? You seemed not to know
it before we left.”

“I didn’t. Like you, as I am around someone’s
things, their story becomes clearer, more of the pieces begin to
fill in and my purpose is revealed.”

“Can you tell me if Nicholas and Kayla will
be alright with gaining control of phasing or is that not
allowed?”

She laughs. “You didn’t believe me, did you?
They will be fine with phasing, they just need to practice. It
won’t take them long at all and I meant what I said, they will be
very strong if they learn to embrace both sides of their power,
they will be almost as strong as your own children.”

“Do you know how many of William’s men are
out there now?”

“There are five of them now but more linger
behind, waiting to see if they too are needed, but not the one that
Jeff is seeking. William and the strongest of his coven are already
gone. He knows that even his lesser minions will be successful in
reclaiming Marlena and there is no need for him to be here, he has
other matters to attend to now that he is the head that will rule
David’s covens.” She takes in a deep breath and looks as if she is
debating whether to say more.

“They do not understand the real prize, but
may in time, the answer is still unclear and so I can say no more
to this. The search parties will not find anything tonight, nor
will they run in to any trouble so do not worry about Andrew and
your friends. They will be fine and be back momentarily. If you
don’t mind, is there somewhere that I could get freshened up? There
is someone I have not seen in a very long time and can only now
reveal myself to him.”

Rising, I lead her to the guest suite
upstairs. Brushing by me, her arm touches my hand and the shock of
the visions that shoot through my mind, stun me. They appear so
fast, I cannot even decipher all of the information overloading my
consciousness. Frozen in place, I vaguely acknowledge her thank you
before mechanically walking back downstairs.

Reaching our suite, Andrew comes beside me,
holding my arms and stooping to meet my eyes. “Mia what’s wrong?
Are you alright? Are the children alright?”

I struggle to find my voice as the visions
slow down allowing my mind to process what it sees, so I nod.
Opening the door, he moves me to the couch, stroking my cheek.
“Please talk to me, what’s wrong?”

The visions cease and I finally focus looking
up at him. “Amanda is Reginald’s sister.”

“How can that be? Reginald said she was
dead”

“He thought she was. She has been hiding from
him all these centuries for fear if David, I mean Sebastian had
tracked her, he would find and kill Reginald.

“Did she tell you this?”

“No, I just saw it. When I was showing her up
to the guest room, she brushed by me and I saw her past. Sebastian
after he had formed his coven as David, captured her. He tried to
force her into transferring her powers to him, but she wouldn’t and
he knew that if he killed her the powers would die with her. He
tortured her for over a century until one day she escaped. Grant
was wrong, he was not the first wolf she helped transform. There
were others, but they were eventually destroyed. She stayed in the
shadows hiding from Sebastian and hiding from Reginald for fear
that if she were to ever reconnect with Reginald and David were to
capture them both, that all David would have to do was to threaten
and hurt Reginald and she would transfer her powers to protect him,
but still it would not buy them enough time to escape and would
make him a more powerful monster than he already was. She knew that
if David could not find her, then he had no need to capture
Reginald or hurt him because he had nothing more to offer David and
every time she tried to envision herself contacting Reginald, she
saw his gruesome demise because David was a much more powerful
witch than Reginald.”

“Are you sure? I have never heard of witches
being able to transfer powers. Although Reginald is not connected
to the black arts, I can’t imagine someone being more powerful than
he is.”

“Maybe she knew her brother, Sebastian, was
more powerful or maybe Reginald could never go against his brother
and that is what would get him killed.”

“Possibly, but what power could she have that
Sebastian would kill his own brother for?”

“She says she can see the future.”

“I know she came to help us, but do you
really think that is possible?”

“I don’t know, but I have a feeling she knows
something about us, something not good and she says that she can’t
tell people what she sees because it changes their future and not
always in a good way.”

“What else did she say?”

“She said that the children need to embrace
all sides of their power and that they will be strong. She also
said that William is gone, but has left five of his coven behind
near our land and others who are waiting to help if necessary and
that they will be successful in recapturing Marlena, but that they
don’t understand the real prize, but she wouldn’t tell me what that
meant.”

“Maybe we should check on the children and
then go have a talk with her and find out what she is talking
about. If she knows anything about those coming for Marlena, we
need know so that we can try to stop them and protect those here.
Then I need to go and check on Catherine.”

Following him into the other room, everyone
has fallen asleep watching the movie, including Paul, Julianne and
Charlie. Not wanting to disturb them, I call over to Jeff to make
sure it is alright if Charlie stays and to let Grant know about
Paul and Julianne. We cover them up and catch Eva and Jackson going
to their room to stay in our suite before heading upstairs to speak
with Amanda.

Taking Andrew’s hand on the stairs, “I know
that you’re worried about Catherine, but if Amanda is for real, she
said Catherine would be fine and she and Lucas would not be
separated.”

“Let’s not say anything to Catherine until we
know for sure. I don’t want to get her hopes up. I’m not saying
that Amanda is a fake, but I don’t want to give Catherine false
hope if something causes their future to change.”

Raising my free hand to knock, Andrew grabs
it and brings our intertwined hand to his lips cautioning me to be
quiet. Turning around, we are heading down the hall when the door
opens. “Come in.”

We turn again and enter. Reginald is sitting
on the sofa, his features frozen. Amanda is holding his hands and
stroking them gently. “We can come back, we didn’t mean to
intrude.” Andrew states quietly.

“You’re not intruding at all. I know that you
are skeptical and have questions, but some answers I cannot give
you. I shouldn’t have spoken when I did, sometimes I forget, but I
wasn’t trying to be intentionally cryptic or scare Mia, it’s just
that if I were to tell you what I saw, I could change your future
and it would not be for the better believe me.” She turns to me. “I
know what flashed before you, and although some things are very
real and have already happened, others may not be what they seem or
set in stone because the future has not happened yet and one thing
could affect something else or change the outcome.”

She turns back to Andrew giving me time to
process what she said. “What Mia saw about Reginald and I is
correct, and although you will try to stop William’s men from
taking Marlena, you will fail. I’m sorry but there must always be
balance.”

Reginald snaps out of his comatose state,
staring at her. “Sebastian said something very similar. What
balance are you two talking about?”

“There must always be a balance between good
and evil on this plane. Do you really think that one side will
allow the other to get too powerful? For each good one that you
save, one such as David sires another one for their team. You know
that the fight between them is not limited to heaven or hell. Each
day, the battle rages in this universe, on this plane for fresh
souls to strengthen their side. Just look at this family alone if
everyone made the choices they did, his underworld would never grow
and that would never due. Why do you think covens such as David’s
exist? They are the balance to a family such as this. Reginald for
as much as you know, even you are unaware of how much he lost when
he lost them. Even not knowing the full truth in this matter, did
you really think that he was going to sit by and take such a loss?
Please tell me that you are not that naive. When he lost them, the
heads of covens committed to pure evil received a boost to their
abilities, even on this plane. Some became virtually untouchable.
How do you think the heads of such covens avert full on attacks
while their followers are decimated.

Taking in a deep breath, she continues.
“That’s one of the reasons he went after her.” She nods toward me.
“Before they were married, he knew what would happen if they got
together and the product of such a union if they remained on this
land. Why do you think he was so delighted when she died in the
gorge? Even if he can’t have her this time, he will get her
extension in this battle, especially now that Marlena is human and
has the seed. The only question is whether he can get to and change
Marlena’s mind before she does something stupid, she is ingrained
with such hatred for the human condition that it may cost him his
chance. He won’t be able to get her on this land and if they...”
She stops abruptly. “It may be best if you both leave.”

Andrew stares at her. “You were just speaking
about Mia and you know something that affects her. I think that
before we leave you need to explain yourself, now.”

Reginald touches Amanda’s arm and his eyes
become unfocused for a moment before he stares at me and I know he
somehow saw exactly what she did. I have no doubt that she can see
the future and it is not good, at least for Andrew and me.
Reginald’s tone is very slow and deliberate. “She can’t tell you
Andrew, it would be disastrous for you both. You have to let this
unfold if you want any chance at all.” His desperate plea seeps
through his façade confirming the other visions I saw when touching
Amanda.

Amanda interjects. “I can tell you this, what
I see does not involve something happening to your children. I
believe that they will be strong. I wish I could be more help
Andrew, but right now all I can see if I interfere at this juncture
is disaster. I am truly sorry.”

As we leave, I hear Reginald questioning
Amanda. “Is there any chance or will we lose them both?”

“I can’t say right now, it keeps shifting
because the time line is not set. It was averted once already and
then I thought when I first arrived, it would happen during the
escape, but I’m just not sure now, you saw, the vision is too
uncertain and the future too undecided. The sacrifice made is
generally rewarded and with more than just this time, but she knows
and will not allow one to suffer on her behalf, she will try to
interfere. The wager will be made and although it will be fought in
a short time, and certain things will not be allowed because of the
initial sacrifice, I cannot see the outcome or the
commencement.”

“I’ll be back. We have a lot to discuss.”

Andrew pulls me down the hall, and I hear
Amanda’s door creek behind us. Reginald is at our side immediately.
“Andrew I know you heard and if I’m right, Mia heard as well.”

“Reginald I know you saw what is going to
happen and it involves Mia. If he is coming after her again, I
won’t let him take her!”

“Andrew you cannot do anything to risk
yourself.” I turn, intertwining our hands. “Please you can’t do
anything that will take you away from here, from our children.”

Turning to Reginald, my tone reveals my
anguish. “How many will be hurt trying to protect me?”

“It is not like that and he is not coming in
the way that you think, he can’t, not this time. Trust me, it is
not what you fear, but it may explain some of what is happening. I
wish that I could go into it, but it would not help you now, it
would only hurt you both. You just need to hold on to your love and
remember that no matter what, the heart never lies!” His voice is
full of emotion and he grips my free hand. His anxiety seeps
through the rigidity in his touch revealing that he is afraid for
me and what I will face. I have some indication from what I saw,
but could my visions mean more, they were so unfocused and fuzzy,
shifting, and only revealing what I now fear is a small part of
what occurred and what is to come.

“I don’t understand.” My eyes search his
knowing he cannot give me an answer, but hoping for some type of
revelation.

His voice turns quiet, maybe in hopes of
calming my racing pulse. “I know, but you said that your heart led
you back to Andrew during your darkest time, don’t ever let go of
that. Looks can be deceiving and the brain does not always register
the truth.” Frustration wells within me. Reginald puts his hand
upon my shoulder and I feel a strange surge then drain of power as
he speaks. “It’s alright, Mia I know it is frustrating, but we are
trying to help you and you have others who only wanted to help you
too. You still have work to do here and we have so many answers
still to find that I believe everything will work out.

Andrew interjects. “What did you do to her? I
can hear the difference in her heartbeats.”

“I took back the power which I transferred to
her. I didn’t realize that it was taxing her system until Amanda
showed me.”

“What do you mean you transferred power to
her?”

“When we were at the estate, I knew that my
quest to find answers could be dangerous. I didn’t realize what I
was going to find and if I died, I did not want certain powers to
die with me. At the time, the power I transferred to her also
worked in conjunction with your powers of healing to help her. She
was not in danger I assure you, but Amanda did not like the way it
was slowing her heart down and worried about complications in the
long run.”