Aiden was perched on the bed by my knees when I woke, watching me intently.
“Hey,” I said groggily.
“Hey,” he said softly. “You had a bad dream.”
I shook my head. “I had a weird ass dream.”
“About?”
“Tarann,” I said. When I sat up, I realized I was only in a towel and my hair was still damp. Clutching the top of it to my chest, I fought the feeling to flee.
“Who?” he asked.
“The fae girl who died.”
He stared at me. I could see the wheels turning as he tried to figure out if I was going crazy or serious. “Oh.” He looked around, probably wishing for someone to come in and help him with the crazy girl.
“She said I have to accept myself as the Dark Sorceress in order to gain all the power that comes with it. That if I do, I can defeat them.”
He still stared, his brows furrowed. “Sadie, I’m gonna go get your grandma.”
He was calling me Sadie, so he must have thought I was losing it. I nodded and he dashed from the room and down the hall. I dressed quickly, tying my hair back in a ponytail. I sat cross legged on the seat by the window as I waited for him to come back.
He came back with Grandma and Mel hot on his heels.
“Sadie!” Mel said, throwing herself in my arms.
I hugged her back. “I’m ok,” I reassured her.
“They said the Six are coming after you,” she hissed, like no one in the room knew.
I nodded. “Apparently.”
Grandma spoke next. “Aiden says the fae visited you?”
“Yeah,” I said, chewing on my lip. “She came to me in my dream. She said her name was Tarann, and it was her destiny to help me become the Dark Sorceress.”
Grandma paced as she let my words sink in. “Did she say anything else?”
“Yes. If I want to get all the powers, I have to accept who I am.”
Her eyes widened. “You can’t, Sadie.”
“Why not, Grandma? I can’t defeat them as I am.”
“That’s the first step in unlocking Clorva. We can’t let them go there. They’ll only gain more powers.”
Huffing, I planted my feet on the ground and gripped the edge of the chair. “I have to,” I said through clenched teeth. “It’s the only way.”
“No,” she said. “We’ll find another.”
“Before tomorrow?” I asked. “Because they’re coming here tomorrow. I have to be powerful enough to fight them off or we’ll all die.”
“They can’t get in,” she said.
“Obviously they can, or Bram wouldn’t have sent Tarann to me. He wanted to mess with my head, Grandma! He’s wanting me to be weak so he can defeat me.”
“No, he wants you to work with him,” she countered.
“That’s defeat in my book,” I mumbled.
“Sadie,” she said, shaking her head. “Don’t do anything irrational. Let me talk to the rest of the council. We can figure this out.”
“I’ll give you until dawn, but that’s it. I’m not taking chances. I can’t lose you all, and I’m not letting anyone else die for me.”
“Sadie,” Grandma started, but I stopped her.
“No. I’m not discussing this anymore.” I stood then, moving past them and out the door. Aiden called after me, but I didn’t stop. I needed space, time, and to be alone.