The Return to Willow Lake - 2

My heart stopped for a moment, sinking to the pit of my stomach as I stepped into my father’s bedroom. He looked so much frailer than he had when we saw him a little over a month ago. His skin had more wrinkles and was paler. His eyes weren’t as bright or colorful, and the smile he gave me was a little weaker.

“Hey, Dad.” I gave him a small smile as I made my way over to the bed to hug him.

“Son, I’m so glad to see you. I know I gave you hell about coming here, but now you are, I’m glad.”

“Me too, Dad.” I sighed as I slowly pulled away and sat on a chair my mother pulled up. “How are you feeling?”

“Like hell warmed up, son, but I’ll be at peace soon, and you’ll be that little bit stronger.”

“There’s something I need to talk to you about first, though. I guess you could consider it a son asking his father for help, one last time.”

My Dad smiled at me, a full smile that reached his eyes, “Of course, son. Nothing could make me happier than to be able to help you one more time before I go.”

I looked at my father for a moment, just wanting to ingrain the sight of him with that smile into my mind.

My mother’s hand came to my knee, giving it a gentle squeeze, and I began to explain everything.

“Something isn’t right, Dad.” I sighed heavily once I’d filled my parents in, “I don’t think she’s a Banshee. It’s logical, but I don’t believe it, I can’t shake this awful feeling I have.”

“I think you’re right, son, not many Banshee’s ever existed anyway. Of course, there’s always the ones we never found or came across, but their population had always been small. Smaller than our original covern of ten families.”

“Dad? What exactly happened to the other families?”

“Well, as you know, one was lost in Salem. Four others were lost during the attack of The Rouge One, plus her bloodline, the Jackson’s. And well, you know what happened to William’s and Edward’s.”

I sat there, deep in thought for a moment, Dad had told me stories about The Rogue One, but never in much detail.

“What exactly happened with The Rogue One?”

My father sighed, “Honestly, I don’t know a huge amount. I think after it happened, and once our coven began to settle, they very much wanted to forget it. It was awful, son; no one knows why Jackson’s girl attacked her own family or coven. There were rumors that Harry Davenport hurt her in some way, a fight broke out between the two, but no one knows. Supposedly she broke some of the covens laws, and when Harry tried to bring her in quietly, she refused.”

“What laws?”

“Revealing who we were to an outsider, and putting the coven at risk by consorting with one of our enemies. Of course, that’s a mere rumor though; very little has been recorded, as you know, and both Harry and Georgeson Davenport died that night. It was only because of Emma Williams, Sophia made it out with their newborn, Hallie’s great grandfather. Daniel Edwards led the coven until her great grandfather became of age. Your great grandfather said Harry tried to bring Elizabeth in for breaking the rules, but she managed to escape.”

“Wait, but wasn’t it Georgeson Davenport who led at the time? Why was Harry the one to bring her in? He must have only been young?”

“Nineteen, I believe, but I don’t know why it was Harry. Maybe he was simply the one who caught her breaking the rules. Davenports typically got trained to be ready to take over at the age of eighteen.” My father stopped for a moment, taking a couple of deep, shaky breaths.

“Anyway, she ran, the coven tried to hunt Elizabeth down but never found her. They decided to leave it be; the village seemed happier with her gone, so my Dad was told. If she ever came back, they’d ensure she answered for her crimes. However, when she came back, four years later, no one could have seen that coming. She didn’t come alone; she came with an army.”

“Of Vampires and Wolfs, right?”

My father nodded, “Yes, three clans worth of Vampires, and a pack of Wolves. However, it was she who did most of the damage; they were there for back up. All we knew was when the survivors came back, they found Georgeson and Harry’s bodies, but not hers. However, it was evident that it had been a Vampire who’d killed Georgeson, and magic that had killed Harry.”

His words caused my eyes to snap up to him, “Wait, what? What do you mean her body was never found? So she survived?”

“It’s possible; nevertheless, she’d be long dead by now. This was back in the very first years of the eighteen hundreds, son. She’d be two hundred and twenty-odd years old, and that’s impossible. The eldest any of us have ever lived is one hundred and thirty-four. That was down to them, never using beyond teaching their child. Well, that’s until we had Hallie become a hybrid, and Zach still is alive due to that bond.”

My mind began to race at rapid speed, trying to process the parts of the story I never knew, along with the parts he’d told me before now.

It ran further as my father brought up Hallie and Zach, and how Hallie was still alive and didn’t look a day over eighteen.

“What if...oh god. No, it can’t be, Dad?”

“Yes, son?”

Panic gripped at me as I realized that it was impossible, except it wasn’t all at once.

If Hallie was able to be turned, then it wasn’t improbable to think that any of us could be turned too. The Rogue One was a Witch also, the same as Hallie was.

Hallie defied everything we knew about ourselves and our powers, and she’d become a Hybrid.

Maybe if it were Zach, or me, we’d have turned but lost our abilities. Or perhaps we wouldn’t turn at all and die. However, Hallie proved it was possible, at least for a Witch, and The Rogue One, was a Witch, like her.

“I need to get home; I need to warn them.”

“What is it, son?” My father urged, clearly sensing my panic as I shot up and began pacing.

I tried to convince myself otherwise, I tried not to think it was possible, but I couldn’t deny how it all fell into place.

She’d befriended Vampires and Wolves. Vampires and Wolves now surrounded Willow Lake, and she’d arrived at an opportune moment.

I never much thought it was a coincidence Mr. Walton was attacked, and they’d found her as the replacement so quickly, especially as she’d seemingly lived in Alaska before.

The book she gave Hallie, the sense I got from her, that pitch blackness and that high pitched scream. The way she made my hairs stand on end and sent my senses off the radar.

It was Vampires and Wolves who attacked our coven again when Hallie and Zach were younger, too. I couldn’t help but wonder if they had been the same clans and Wolf pack from before? Had they’d come back to try and finish the job? Had their goal been to wipe out the entire coven?

Her name was Liz, and Liz was a common nickname for Elizabeth.

Everything fell into place, and my heart pounded harshly against my chest.

She either wanted the Davenports dead or all the remaining bloodlines. And right now, there was only me, Zach and Hallie standing in her way.

Hallie and Zach were back in Willow Lake, without me, unknowing, believing she was a mere Banshee. But the pit in my stomach deepened, and no matter what, I knew I was right.

“Ms. Jameson. She’s not a Banshee.”

“Masato? No, it can’t be” My mother looked at me, horrified as her hands clapped over her mouth. I knew too well she’d figured it out also.

“Dad, She’s a hybrid...She’s The Rogue One, and she’s after Hallie and Zach.”