Ten

"That's fantastic," I breathed out, fascinated by what I'd just seen. "So, let me get this straight, no one except a blood relative can even touch the notebook. I thought you said they couldn't see it either."

"It is, isn't it? It keeps out anyone who would try to use the information in it against our family," Roger explained. "You are connected to our family, so even though we don't share the same blood, the journal must recognize that you helped to maintain the balance of good and evil in the past which explains why you can see it."

Magic was strange, and the more I learned about it, the more I realized there was no rhyme or reason to it, and no rules. It was as it was supposed to be, and if I could see the book then I was meant to see it, but apparently, I wasn't meant to touch it. "My mother did something similar, but she didn't care if anyone else touched it. Most who do end up cursed in some horrible way, so she was more than happy for some poor unfortunate but curious person to experience that fate." It was true, which was probably the reason she didn't take much care in hiding it. She didn't want another witch to find it, but if they dared to touch it—it would not end well for them.

"There's a lot about our family you don't know. Jordan has kept our secrets, but it haunts him. He wants to be honest with you," Emilia said, and gave Jordan a fond smile. "I know how hard it is to keep things from those you love."

Then a thought hit me, the wraith wasn't a thing of the past, it had been here not long ago. "You said your ancestor defeated the wraith in the past, did Jordan tell you that the group of ghost hunters we've worked with had an experience with it only last year?"

"How can this be? It was banished to the dark for eternity, the only way it could have found its way back out is if someone guided it," Roger said.

"My mother had been plotting this power grab for a while. It wouldn't surprise me if she had something to do with releasing it, but the team also banned it. They're not magical though so the protections they used may not have been strong enough to hold it." I tried to remember exactly what Wade and Jason had said about their experience with the wraith, but at the time we didn't think it was part of all the strange happenings.

"If she used the wraith then it came at a price. It's a very dark spirit that likes nothing more than to collect and enslave the spirits that encounter it," Roger said.

"She was willing to put her soul into another body that she thought could give her more power, there is literally nothing she wouldn't do to get more," I said. "James said they released the spirits it had held captive, and they think it's power is linked to how many spirits it's able to collect." I needed them to understand how far my mother would go. It didn't matter that her body was dead, her spirit was still out there, and until we knew it had been destroyed, there was always a chance of her coming back and wreaking more havoc in our lives.

"A seer could tell us what your mother's spirit and the wraith have planned. Do you understand what it means if you're the seer?" Emilia asked Jordan, and she looked worried.

"Bran said it's someone who can see the future with supernatural help. I know our ancestors had the gift of sight, but I don't know more than that. And before you ask, no I haven't had any visions of what's going to happen."

Roger froze for a moment with his mouth open, making it obvious he was about to ask if Jordan had any visions of what would be. "You should read the journal. Not all of our ancestors were gifted with sight, if you are truly the chosen one then there's a lot you'll need to know," he said. "This isn't something to be entered into lightly. Once you've accepted the power, it cannot be undone, and like every other power it comes at a price."

"Are you saying I can choose to take the power or refuse it?"

"Yes, but once it's offered there will be a cost no matter what your decision. And, son, it is your decision. This is an ability that will be with you for the rest of your days, and it won't always be easy." His father's eyes were filled with sorrow and worry, and a few months later I'd look back on this conversation and wish I'd said more but ultimately it was Jordan's path that he would need to choose. I'd gladly walk it with him, but I couldn't choose for him.

"Will Jordan be in danger?" I asked. My mind raced with all the risks we'd already been exposed to, and all the horrible things I could imagine us going through. I loved him, and I wanted to spend my life with him, but I didn't want him to be constantly in harm's way.

Jordan thumbed at the pages of the journal, lost in thought.

"I won't lie to you. He could be in danger. You know as well as we do, when you're dealing with the other side you never know what to expect. You have to be ready for anything and everything." Roger covered Jordan's hand and met his eyes. "I won't risk my son. If you read the journal and you do not want to be the chosen one, then when that time comes there are actions we can take that will make it so you don't even need to decide. You'll be passed over."

"What do you mean?" Jordan asked.

A look passed between Roger and Emilia, before she nodded. "I was meant to be the next seer. But by the time I was called your mother was pregnant with you. I never wanted to risk you or your mother, and accepting the power also meant putting us in the crosshairs of not only the wraith, but every supernatural being who would want to use the ability to see the future."

"You turned it down—for me?" Jordan asked.

"It wasn't a hard decision. I've never been one to be that involved with matters of the spirit world, so turning it down was easy. Especially when I knew that by accepting, it would put my baby boy in danger."

"We have a friend who is still connected to ancient magic. They're pagan and were more than able to bind the powers away from your father," Emilia said. "Taking and using the power isn't the only risk."

"Some who had the power were driven mad before they were able to control the visions," Roger said.

"With every power there's a price," I said. My abilities put me at risk of having the powers either taken from me, or being forced to use them to help evil people get what they wanted. If Jordan would be able to predict the future and others found out about it, he wouldn't be safe. "How did you know you were chosen?"

"That's a whole other matter," Roger said. "When Emilia was three months pregnant, I was in a terrible car accident."

"Oh no," Jordan whispered.