Marren Vale

The moon lit my way along the worn path, drawn by the certainty I had a home there. I’d dreamed it more than once. Being in Marren Vale, finally, was simply the start of making them a reality, and I breathed in deeply as I had my first view of the cottage. Jess hadn’t believed anything I told her, other than the fact it was magic that had changed our lives for good. She felt her own power, so went to Mama’s family, in the hope they’d be able to block it, rather than accepting the offer I made for her to join me. Although it probably was for the best, things were going to be complicated enough, I missed her.

I reached the front door, and touched the handle, magic surrounding me the moment I did. Small symbols I didn’t understand lit around the door, before fading away. Once they did the magic was gone too, telling me it was a magical lock, existing to keep out those who were meant to enter… but I’d been permitted entry. Marren Vale was where we came from. Hand shaking slightly, I was right, I opened the door, to find it looked like someone left a short time before I arrived. Even the lights were on, which might just have been magic.

From somewhere within a clock ticked. I stood on the doorstep, breathing slowly. Making the dream real was all I’d wanted. Now I could there was a voice in the back of my head telling me to walk away. Clearly whoever left the cottage did so in such a way they couldn’t take anything with them, and that was not the best sign. Then my mind turned to her, the main reason I’d made the journey, because leaving right then, fear getting the better of me, meant I’d never meet her. Decision made, I ignored the voice and stepped into the cottage.

Nothing happened. I didn’t know why I expected it to, as though whoever had left would have used magic to leave some kind of image to speak with me, but I was a little disappointed. Learning more about myself was the other reason I’d chosen to leave everything I knew behind. Why did I have magic? Until the day my parents died neither showed any signs they were different. Papa was changing, he had been ever since his father died, a man I only met a couple of times toward the end of his life. We assumed it was grief. Obviously it was something more. Seeing it… Jess never wanted to have anything to do with magic, while I… it was complicated.

What I didn’t want was for fear of the unknown to stop me from learning as much as I could about what it meant to have magic. Jess disagreed. She wanted a normal life. I understood, but as the dreams showed me more of what could be I knew I couldn’t walk away from the possibilities I’d seen. First I needed to look right, so I set my bag down in the hallway and took the door to the left, making my way through the main living space to a bedroom, where there’d be clothes for me. They’d belonged to whoever lived there before, still in the wardrobe because they’d chosen not to take it with them.

On the bedside table was a picture, the first I’d seen, and I stepped closer. After a few moments studying it I realised it was a painting. Within was a man standing beside a woman, on what looked to be their wedding day, and the man… hand shaking, I reached for it. If I didn’t know any better I’d have said it was me, at least until I looked more closely, because there were some differences. Fortunately. More uncomfortable than before I set it down, not wanting to think too much about what it meant. Not yet.

Clothes first. I carefully opened the wardrobe. Everything seemed fine, but it was better not to assume. Nothing flew out, there was no musty smell, so I reached for the first item within, the slight scent of herbs coming from it. On the hanger was a small bag, and when I touched it the herbs weren’t so dry they disintegrated. More magic? The shirt itself was a reminder of the dreams, because I’d definitely worn it in at least one of them, when they were nothing like the clothes I’d owned. Jess didn’t understand me choosing to leave almost everything behind. Standing there, holding that shirt, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to fit in to Marren Vale if I’d tried to hold on to who I was before magic.

My problem was I knew they’d belonged to him. I ran my tongue over my bottom lip. Still holding the hanger, I’d need to change before I left the cottage again, I turned to look at the picture once more. He was the man who’d left. Unfortunately he wasn’t there for me to ask any questions, and he hadn’t left a note for whoever returned. Did it matter? Whatever choices he’d made I was there, because it was where I was meant to be, the dreams making that very clear. Answers could be found in the future.

Dropping the hanger on the bed, it seemed like it was made that morning, I took the picture off the bedside table, slipping it into one of the drawers. I needed to focus. Clothes for the morning, something to eat, and then a night of sleep. After that I’d be able to go looking for her. Shirt was done. Next thing was trousers, but it seemed as though underwear was not a thing in Marren Vale. Letting go of that was fortunately not something I’d have to do in the beginning, although… I couldn’t get ahead of myself.

Trousers. I went through them, thinking about the man, my ancestor, in them, but I didn’t have a choice. My current clothing wasn’t going to work. Even before I’d reached the cottage I knew that, and, yes, it was a little weirder now I was there, dealing with the fact it was like he’d literally left an hour ago. What I had to do was accept it. Move on. Finding a pair that looked slightly less work than the others I set them on the bed with the shirt. Shoes awaited me in the hallway, so I didn’t need to find them.

Next was food, and that… I knew there was a market, but it wouldn’t be open. There was a garden. Unfortunately I was not someone who knew anything about growing vegetables, so it would help, once I’d had a chance to learn more. Hopefully they’d left that behind too, and magic meant it was still good to eat, because I was tired of travel food, although I’d made certain to keep hold a meal back in case there wasn’t anything. In the morning I’d be able to get something. From what I’d seen Marren Vale didn’t use a currency. People were free to take what they needed, which did seem to have worked. Somehow.

In the kitchen diner I felt people. Memories. Breathing deeply, I closed my eyes, and there she was, with the man I’d seen in the picture. Even though she looked different I knew it was her, because of the connection between us. Not being able to hear them complicated things, as he paced from one side of the room to the other. When she turned fully I saw her holding an infant. Had they… no, he was married to someone else. She wasn’t the mother of the child. Maybe she was related in some way.

Before I had a chance to look more closely it was gone. She’d told me about her other lives. I knew her soul was lifetimes old, and I’d mentally prepared myself for it, but that was entirely different to actually seeing one of those lives. To watch as she talked to my ancestor. Had I made the right choice? Dropping into one of the chairs, mix of emotions more tumultuous than I expected, I bit down hard on my bottom lip.

She was my soulmate. I’d chosen her. Jess didn’t understand. The woman was a dream, nothing more. How could I be so certain she was real? Falling in love with her… I saw her again, the way she spoke to me, touched me, the softness of her lips on my cheek… there was no walking away. Not when I’d got so close to our first meeting. Who she’d been couldn’t scare me away, and I stood, stepping over to what I’d have called a fridge, opening it to find there was something to eat. Once I had those dinner was a much easier proposition.

One thing I had missed was cooking. Everything was a little different, magic powering the hob as I boiled pasta, but recognisable enough I’d enjoyed the process. The sausages were, I think, rabbit, although I didn’t think too much about it. Marren Vale wasn’t like home, and I had to accept what that meant before I met her for the first time. She didn’t need to deal with my doubts, when I’d made the decision for her. For the first time I was needed. Without me she couldn’t live, thanks to her brother, so I’d do whatever I had to in order to free her from a future she clearly didn’t want.

With a full stomach I returned to the bedroom, his bedroom, where I’d sleep for the night. It was past midnight, but I wasn’t exactly tired. There were too many thoughts swirling around my mind. Yet I still stripped, dropping down onto the bed to close my eyes, because sometimes it worked, I’d manage to fall asleep.

Then he was there. I sat up, but he didn’t notice me. Slowly, he walked through the room, alone with his thoughts, and I studied him in a way I hadn’t before. Back tense, he closed his eyes, hand raking through his hair. What I wanted was for him to speak. Unfortunately his silence told me very little about anything, other than the fact he didn’t seem entirely comfortable with the decision he’d made. Attention drawn by something else, he turned, the door opening moments later, with her walking into the room.

“Anne…”

“Mateo’s worried.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “The decision’s made.”

“I know.” Anne’s voice was gentle as she stepped closer, hand touching his arm, and a frisson of jealousy went down my spine. “Yet I can tell you aren’t happy.”

“Of course I’m not.” There was nothing gentle about him. “We’re asking too much of you. If he finds out…”

“Nothing will happen.” She was in front of him, looking into his eyes. “Gabe, I wouldn’t have made this choice if I was at all worried about Titus’s reaction, so I need you to breathe.”

“Sweetheart…”

The way he said the word told me more than I wanted to know. Gabe was in love with Anne. I breathed in deeply. He was dead. Being jealous of a dead man’s relationship with her was not logical. What I needed to do was stop, only it was far harder than I wanted it to be, as the two of them stood in silence looking at each other. Maybe it was fortunate I couldn’t see the emotions in his eyes, because there was love in hers, which could exist for any one of a number of reasons.

“You will die, Gabriel.” She took his hands in hers. “What I want, what Mateo wants, is for you to live, and the only way that’s possible is if you leave Marren Vale. Go far away. Build a life. Thanks to Mateo you have a chance to do that, so you should grab it, with both hands. Please.”

“Did Mateo Look?”

“Everything will be fine.”

“Anne Lockwood…”

“Gabriel Diaz…” She rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t have to Look. I know Titus, and I need you to trust me.”

Rather than saying anything more he pulled her into his arms. Anne rested her head on his chest, breathing in deeply, a tear still rolling down her cheek. For longer than I was comfortable with they stayed like that, but it was her who pulled away, looking at him once more.

“Live. Fall in love. Have more children. I remember the conversations we had about what you wanted, so try to have that, no matter how complicated it might be.”

“You can’t.”

A flicker of frustration, as Anne put her hand on his chest. “That’s why I want you to. Do what I can’t. Mateo will, because he knows that’s always what I’ve hoped for the people I love.”

“I love you enough to stay.”

“Love is not a reason for you to stay. Not when we both know it won’t change anything.” She stood on her toes, lips against his cheek, and I bit down hard on my bottom lip. “You deserve everything life can give you. I know you, you’re going to always wonder what could have happened if you stay, but all we can ever have is a moment, because you’re on the Council. The only way you can live is if you walk through those wards tomorrow night.”

Slowly, he nodded. “I won’t fall in love. Marrying Cordelia was something I did because it was expected of me. There is no one else, Anne.”

Her eyes moved to the picture on the bedside table. “If Delia was still here we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” She sighed. “Before the handfasting she told me she wasn’t in love with you, but you were a Diaz, so it was the right choice.”

“Unfortunately leading to her death, because our son ended up being a Seer.” Anne opened her mouth. “You did everything you could, Anne. No one can doubt the love you had for your cousin. Every time you were here, helping to strengthen her, but it was never going to be enough. Mateo was too strong.”

“Titus helped.” Gabriel’s back tensed again. “He gifted me extra power when I came, Gabe, because he does care about our family. People don’t see the good in him, but it does exist, and the ritual…”

“Yes, I know, it’s a necessary evil, due to that foolish vow.” He sighed, and I looked between them, going over the dreams as I tried to remember whether Anne had brought that up. “Mateo shared enough with me, so I understand. That doesn’t mean I accept the choices he’s made, Anne.”

“Sometimes it’s hard.” There was an affection in her voice I was certain I’d not heard in the dreams. “I wish we could go back, change what he did, but there’s no way of undoing it, and he’s not wrong when he says it’s too strong for me to release him from it. Emotional magic is something we try to avoid for a reason. What we did…” She shrugged. “At least I can help you.”

“Mateo suggested we leave everything.” Gabriel also looked at the picture. “It’ll be easier when we get to wherever it is we’re going.”

“Before we leave I’ll ward the cottage. Then if it’s ever needed someone will be able to simply use it.”

Gabriel took her hand, and drew her closer. “You think a Diaz will return?”

“Anything’s possible, Gabe.” She looked at the bed, as though she could see me, before turning back to him. “Get some sleep. It’ll be a long night tomorrow, so the best thing you can do now is rest.”

With a nod he kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”

“None of this would be necessary if it wasn’t for me.” She squeezed his hand. “Promise me you’ll try.”

“There is no one else, but I will live, for you.”

Smile just touching her lips for a second, Anne stepped back. “Mateo will keep you safe.”

Both faded into nothing, as I tried to work through what I’d seen, and my eyes opened. I had fallen asleep, so it was another dream. Clearly it showed me what had happened, possibly due to my connection to the cottage, because Gabriel was in some way related to me even though I was a Fitzgerald rather than a Diaz. Maybe I was related via a daughter or granddaughter, or they’d made the decision to change their name when they left Marren Vale behind, so Titus was less likely to find them.

Mateo was probably the reason I’d had dreams of the future. I might even be a Seer, if I’d ever had anyone to teach me what that meant. Now, though… I bit down on my bottom lip, because it wasn’t as though I didn’t know. Anne explained to me there were others in the past, they’d fallen in love with her, but other than Elias nothing more happened. Even Elias was more complicated than it seemed. She’d kissed him a couple of times, only for it to feel wrong. He’d even tried to convince her to leave Marren Vale with him, something she was tempted by for all the wrong reasons, until the day came when Titus shredded his soul.

Yet there was real affection. I’d heard it. How could she care about a man who’d caused her so much pain? Then again he was family. Clearly that meant something to her, as she’d done what she could for Cordelia, and him doing the same… of course there was affection in that moment. Although it was more likely Titus doing what he could to get into Anne’s good books she didn’t see it that way, because he was her brother. She believed he’d done it for all the right reasons.

Tomorrow, one way or another, I’d meet her for the first time, and then I could start getting to know the real Anne. I rolled onto my side, closing my eyes again. Hopefully I’d be able to sleep without more dreams, because I did need true rest, after all the time I’d spent travelling. Only the thoughts then didn’t seem to want to stop. Was Anne even going to like me? After I’d spent weeks journeying to Marren Vale doubts plagued me for the first time, thanks to what I’d dreamed of. Seeing her with Gabriel… she wasn’t in love with him. He was in love with her.

Anne cared, yes. It was the reason she’d helped him leave. There was nothing more between them, otherwise he might have stayed, and if he did I wouldn’t be laying in his bed. For my present to happen Gabriel had to have left, her wards the reason I was able to walk into a cottage frozen in time. She knew there was a chance it might be needed. What I’d need to do was thank her for her forethought, because it gave me a home, at a time when I needed it most. Now I could build a new life, even though it wasn’t going to be easy.