"What do you mean you've been expecting me?" I asked suspiciously.

"Your mother told me that you would come to me one day," the stranger replied.

"You know Abigail?" My heart leapt at the thought. Was it possible that she was still alive and had communicated with this man?

He shook his head. "Not your adoptive mother. Your biological mother- Brianne."

"That's impossible. Brianne has been dead for nearly two decades," Micah said skeptically.

"You should know by now, Micah, that anything is possible when magic is involved," the man said with a smile.

"I don't trust him," Micah muttered in a hushed voice. "How does he know our names? There's no way he could have known we'd show up here, at this exact time, on this exact day."

I had my doubts too. But the smile on the man'a face seemed genuine. He was comfortable and at ease, no defensiveness in his stance.

"I don't know, Micah. Like he said, anything is possible with magic. I, of all people, have come to believe that during the last several days."

"How do we know you're really Fletcher?" Micah asked the man.

"You don't," the man said."But I haven't done anything to show otherwise. I could have easily attacked while you without making myself known, if that were my goal."

"That doesn't prove anything. Maybe you're just trying to play mind games with us," Micah said suspiciously.

"Lexi," the man said, turning to face mr. "Look into your heart. Do you get a bad feeling about me? A witch's instinct is the most reliable form of magic there is."

I did as he asked, and was surprised when I didn't sense any negativity about the man. My heart wasn't racing in fright, and I didn't feel the need to run. In fact, I almost felt drawn to him. I knew in my core that this man was an ally, a confidant, someone who could be trusted.

Of course, I wasn't entirely sure I could trust my own dispositions. Perhaps I was only calm because I had Micah by my side, his arm still draped protectively around me. Or maybe this stranger was using some form of magic to sway my decision, to make my body anodyne when I would normally be terrified. I was more confused than ever before.

"I'm not sure," I muttered, looking from Micah to the man.

"Take the leap, Lexi," the man whispered.

His words make me smile. This was something Christopher used to say to me when I was afraid to try something new.

"Take the leap, Lexi. Dive in with the faith that everything will be okay."

Those words took me back to memories of riding my bicycle without the training wheels, jumping into the lake at Jerry and Kate's cabin, learning to drive a car.

Take the leap, his words echoed, and the man gave a knowing smile.

"I believe him," I said. Micah turned his head around to look at me in shock. "We can trust him."

Micah shook his head. "Well, excuse me if I don't believe the intuition of a woman who has only known that she's a witch for a week," he muttered. "I'm sorry, but that just doesn't convince me."

"When we first met, you wanted me to use blind faith to trust you and follow you halfway across the country," I reminded him.

Micah narrowed his eyes at the memory. I could see his defenses slacken infinitesimally.

"You don't have to trust him, but can you at least try to trust me?"

Micah stared at me, his striking green eyes looking deep into my bright hazel. He was gazing intently, searching me as though he can feel what I felt, believe what I believed. 

"Fine, we'll come with you," he said, turning to face Fletcher. "But I still have my reservations about you. If you try anything, and I mean anything that might harm Alexis, you'll wish that you'd left us on this abandoned road," Micah said, venom in his voice. 

But his harsh words didn't seem to effect the man. "I would expect nothing less from her protector," the Fletcher said, his smile widening. "This way, please."

We followed Fletcher through the uninhibited field for about a mile, the area looking sketchier as we went. It didn't take long for me to reconsider my decision to trust him, to begin worrying that this man was leading them deeper into the isolated area so he could more easily dispose of our bodies. I was about to whisper to Micah that I thought we should turn around, that I was wrong and we needed to get away as soon as possible, when the three of us came upon a small clearing.

This area was different than the miles of abandoned fields we had traveled through. This expanse was cleared of the cumbersome weeds and unrelenting roots, giving way to a beautiful expanse with green grass cut to ankle height.

The space was surrounded by a large garden with some of the loveliest flowers that I had ever seen, ranging from large, towering sunflowers and bright pink lilies, to deep blue orchids and magenta lotus flowers. It was an idyllic setting and- having grown up with a green-thumbed gardener in Abigail- I was able to appreciate the beauty of such delicate objects.  

On our right, the clearing was adorned with a beautiful orchard. Even from a distance, I could see the vivid apricots, plums, apples, and cherries that were adorning the limbs of the mature trees. Grapes and strawberries grew on elongated and twisting vines, wrapped around a white picket fence.

Beside the orchard I could see row after row of agriculture. Bright yellow corn stalks and asparagus crops soared intimidatingly over the other plants. Carrots, onions, and tubers showed their ripened green tops from underneath the dirt, while colorful tomatoes, squash, and watermelon covered the ground in clusters.

The amount of food surrounding us would have been enough to feed an army. Even Micah seemed so awe-struck at the sight that his arm finally fell to his side.

Directly ahead of us, at the end of a long gravel road, there was a small, one-story farmhouse with white vinyl siding and dark blue shutters. Fletcher took the graveled path towards the house with Micah and I following, mesmerized by the capacious amounts of vegetation on either side of us.  

We walked up several concrete steps and onto a wooden porch with bright red rocking chairs and a beautiful swing, leading way to a screen door. Fletcher walked through the door, holding it open for a hesitant Micah, who insisted that he go in first to check the place out.

When I followed them into the bright and airy living room. The first thing that I noticed is the mix-matched furniture. Against one wall was a plaid navy and white couch, with wooden end tables on either side. Near the couch was a red brick fireplace with a plush burgundy recliner on one side, and a small piano on the other.

The bright evening sun shined uninhibited through windows that were trimmed with dark mahogany, matching the rafters that were visible in the tall, peaked ceiling.

A deep, aggressive growl reverberated from ahead of us, as a massive American foxhound came charging into the room, barking defensively at the unknown intruders. I took a step back in fear. Micah's hand lingered near his knife, ready to do whatever was necessary if the dog were to attack. 

"Oh hush, Otis. These are friends," Fletcher said, giving the brown and white dog a pat on the head.

Otis looked up at him doubtfully, but silenced himself as he laid down on the shag rug in front of the fireplace, eyes darting suspiciously between Micah and me.   

"Don't mind him. He's all bark and no bite. C'mon in and have a seat. You must be exhausted," Fletcher said, motioning toward the plaid couch.

Instead, Micah sat on the piano bench nearest the front door, signaling for me to sit next to him. Fletcher gave a small chuckle and shook his head.

"Can I offer you something to drink? Water? Coffee?"

"No, we're fine," Micah said, much to the opposition of my parched throat.

"Suit yourself. The fridge is in there if you change your mind," Fletcher said, motioning toward the kitchen. He took a seat on the plaid couch.

"You say that you knew Brianne? How?" Micah asked, getting straight to the point. He wasn't one to waste time with unnecessary pleasantries. 

"Well, I was her protector, of course. I assumed you knew," Fletcher said.

Micah's eyes widened in surprise. "Her protector? Why wasn't I made aware of this?" He asked defensively.

Fletcher gave a sad smile. "You know the rules of Tueri as much as I do, Micah. I was banished from the protector community, and stripped of my powers after Brianne turned. My name is taboo, so of course they wouldn't tell you about me."

"But, I thought you said if a witch turns dark side, the protector still has to remain by their side?" I asked.

"Yes, that's true, but the protectors cannot take the chance of letting witches or protectors inside Tueri if they are associated with dark magic. It would put everyone at risk," Micah explained.

"So the protector is punished for the witch's choices? That doesn't seem fair."

"It might not be fair, but it's the rules," Fletcher said. "When a protector is sworn to look after a witch, it's a lifelong vow broken only by death. A protector can't just decide he doesn't want to be paired with his witch anymore, regardless if they don't agree with the choices that are made. That's why the protector is exiled, and for good reason. What if the witch had their protector under a spell that forced them to release all of the secrets and protections of Tueri, in an attempt to kill everyone there? By banishing the protector, it creates a defensive charm so that they're never able to return to Tueri."

"So, you were banished from Tueri because my mother chose to use dark magic?"

"Yes," Fletcher said.

I felt as though I should apologize to him for the actions of my mother, for her selfishness that resulted in punishments, not just for her and her husband, but for this innocent man, as well.  

"What was Brianne like? How did you meet?" Micah asked.

Although still untrusting, he couldn't hide his curiosity of the mysterious dark witch whose name was renowned in his world.

"It was around thirty years ago now," Fletcher started. "I was traveling in downtown Chicago, searching for Brianne so that I could let her know that I was going to be her protector.

"I'd been having difficulty finding her, even after weeks of looking. Later on I would learn that Brianne had shielded her magic to help hide herself from the Malin, something no one had anticipated. A witch that new to the craft shouldn't have been able to perform such a complex spell at such a young age. But that was Brianne for you... always talented beyond her years.

"I was on the east side of town following up on a tip I'd received from one of my protector buddies, but it turned out to be nothing of relevance. I was wrapping it up for the day, exasperated by the fact that I couldn't seem to find my new charge. Looking back now I probably should have gotten a taxi, but my hotel was less than a mile away; the amount of mortal money I'd been given was limited, so I didn't want to waste it.

"I'd been walking for about ten minutes when I got the nagging feeling that I was being watched. I looked around, but there was no one else there. I was new to magic outside of Tueri, you see, and I didn't realize that you should always trust your instincts, so I just shrugged it off as paranoia.

"The nagging feeling continued as I walked faster, eager to get back to the safety of the hotel room. But a few minutes later, I saw a tall man standing in the middle of the sidewalk. No, not standing really... it was more like he was waiting for me. A chill crept up my spine, and I knew that something wasn't right.

"When we made eye contact, I stopped dead in my tracks. I could sense the evil behind the man's stare.

"I attempted to cross the street, but road was blocked by an older man with a long, graying beard. I knew my only hope was to go back the way I'd come, but when I turned around, a young woman with olive skin and large, dark braids was standing there, her menacing smile triumphant. The Malin soldiers had me surrounded.

"The woman sneered. 'Well, well, look what we've got here. If it ain't a baby protector!'

"Trying to think on my feet, I chose to deny the accusation. 'I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about.'

'"You can lie all you want, baby, but we can sense your powers. The Malin are never wrong when they hunt. Grab him!' she yelled to her companions.

"I spotted a side road several yards behind us and knew that it was my only hope. Dropping all pretense, I took off running as fast as I could, knowing I was outnumbered.

"I was running for maybe ten seconds when one of the Malin hit me with a firebomb, knocking me to the ground. Turning quickly onto my back, I could see another Malin getting ready to shoot me with a second firebomb. I gathered all the strength I could muster in my injured state, and dived out of the way at the last minute, only to see several more firebombs heading my way. They were coming so fast, it was all I could do to hold them off. I knew that I wouldn't last long; I had no powers of my own without Brianne.

"I'd exhausted nearly all of my energy when the Malin formed a circle around me, chanting in a foreign language. I could feel the power leaving my body as they recited the spell. I thought for sure that I was going to die, but that's when she showed up... Brianne Hamilton.

"She was young at the time- only seventeen years old- yet so skilled already. She had this air about her. It was almost as though when I saw her dark figure appear out of nowhere, I knew there was hope.

'"Enough,' she said with an undeniable authority. The Malin soldiers stopped to look at her, and then broke out in laughter.

'"What's up girly?' the woman smirked. 'Come to die with your lil' boyfriend?'

"'No one has to die today,' she said calmly. 'Your powers were given to you as a gift to help those who do not possess them, not to risk your life as Malin foot soldiers. But you can change that. We're always seeking others to join our cause to make the world a better place. If you just give me your word that you wish to change, we can begin today. Then you could use your powers to seek true peace,' Brianne said. Her speech was heartwarming, but the Malin just scoffed.

'"How touching,' the woman said. 'But I think we're good. Now if you don't mind, we have powers to snatch,' she said and moved with such a rapidity that the action was a blur to me. A firebomb formed in the woman's hand and flew toward Brianne with such breathtaking speed that I thought for certain she was dead. Your mother, however, moved effortlessly and avoided the light.

'"I'll give you one last chance,' she said, looking pleadingly at the group, but to no avail. The woman shot another firebomb at Brianne, but she raised her hand and the ball that had been heading straight toward her heart just moments before, altered it's course and hit the Malin woman instead. Your mother had the power to deflect other's magic away from her, you see, so firebombs were really no match for her. The Malin let out an awful scream as her own firebomb changed course, turning her to ash with it's magic. The other Malin soldiers looked at one another, fear and determination in their eyes. One of the men threw more energy balls toward your mother. She looked almost bored as she deflected it back at him, causing the man to fall to the ground and writhe in pain. The last man looked terrified and, rather than fight Brianne alone, ran off in the opposite direction.

'"Damn coward,' Brianne muttered. She didn't try to stop him, but let him go as she came over to where I was lying, letting out a sigh. 'I can try to convince them until I'm blue in the face, but it doesn't matter; they never change,' she said, sadness in her eyes.

"She helped me up and walked with me back to my hotel room. She stayed the whole night, helping to nurse me back to full health. I had so many questions that I didn't know where to start, but she stayed patiently by my side and answered every one of them. I explained to her what a protector was and that we were chosen to work together. Never once did she doubt what I was saying. She trusted me from the beginning.

"She told me she'd found people with similar beliefs as hers, and that they were wanting to start a coven, to perform kind acts in the world so full of darkness and hate.

'"My wish is to eradicate the Malin, but not through murder. I want them to see the light and come to our side, to understand the things that they've been doing are immoral and that there's another way' she explained.

"The idea was difficult for me to process. Where Micah and I grew up in Tueri, we're taught that the Malin are our sworn enemies and that if we run across them we are to show them no mercy.

But like you said, Brianne, they don't listen,' I said. I was mesmerized by this new concept, something I never thought was an option before.

'"Don't get me wrong- if it comes to us or them, I'll always choose us. I'll do whatever is necessary to protect those I care about, to protect the future of magic and Kapanathy. But, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could stop all of the murder; if we could convince everyone to join forces? We have the potential to do great things together,' she would say, positively beaming.

"That night was the beginning of what I'd consider to be the greatest years of my life. There was no one in either world who could make you feel the way Brianne could. She was the greatest friend I ever had," Fletcher says. "She didn't really even need a protector; she could take care of herself just fine. In fact, I would say she was just as much my protector as I was hers. That's why it was so hard for me to believe it when the rumors surfaced about her meddling with the dark arts. It hardly seemed like her," he says, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"That wouldn't be the only time that Brianne would come to save me in life. She was by my side in every battle- physical or physiological. We fought the Malin together time after time, she was there when I lost a very dear friend in combat, and she helped me to see the light when I began to drink a bit too much to ease my pain. She was always there when I needed her the most, but in the end I wasn't able to help her when she needed me," he says, as a single tear slides down his weathered cheek.

Thank you for reading! If you are enjoying this story so far, don't forget to vote! :)

© Dawn Norwell