CHAPTER 1

I am standing in a room that is dark, lit with candles on chandeliers, I do not understand, where the hell am I? This looks like a scene in the series Reign, I am standing in what looks like a throne room, how am I standing here if I have never set foot in this place but I can smell the air in here smells like this place has been around for centuries, the temperature is bearable and that is saying a lot, I'm a Scottish lass so I can handle the cold but this? How are the candles still lit?

Out of nowhere two people, or not people, since they have wings, one has black wings that look like they have spikes on the end which are red and the other has a white wing with a very shiny crown on her head, she is beating the devil out of that lad, I can tell you that much.

Are those blackout curtains? It seemed so dark in here but when they flew in I saw a glimpse of light and I was definitely not in France.

The white-winged one looks directly at me standing not too far from where the pair entered, why am I not freaked out right now?, he looks back at the blacked one, chops off his head then looks back at me, "You need to stop wondering around young one, now wake up and find us before it is too late. "

I shoot up in my bed blinded by the lights coming in through my curtain. Another fucking dream? I am getting sick of these sodded dreams! they feel so real and then I wake up in the same place I laid my head to rest.

Yet this time is different. I feel the need to pack a duffel bag and check my passport, but I have not planned any vacations and I am not aware of any emergencies. I check my iPhone just in case I missed something, but it's the usual social media and gaming notifications.

What I can do is get out of bed and head down the stairs, I can smell the apple pancakes being made and I can smell the espresso being brewed.

"Good morning Seanair! What's for breakfast?"; My grandfather is originally from Germany, but he doesn't like to speak of home much. All he says is that Seanmhair found him in his time of need and they lived happily ever after.

"Don't play with me Scarlette, you know very well it is the same thing every morning, now don't go drowning your breakfast in syrups or ice cream, it was intended to keep you moving for the day not to put you back to sleep."

"That's what the coffee is for Seanair", I say smirking at him, he simply shakes his head and continues flipping his pancakes.

"Any interesting dreams you had since laying your head to rest?"

This is our morning routine, I get woken by the smell of Seanair cooking breakfast, I get up, make my bed, head to the shower and we come here and share what adventures we had in our dreams.

I've never in my life seen my Seanair tense up the way he did when I told him how my dream ended. He was literally about to put a piece of pancake in his mouth and stopped dead in his tracks. Put his last bite down and headed out of the kitchen leaving me stumped.

He returns after about five or so minutes with a beautiful brown box I have never seen before. It has a brass lock pad on it with funny inscriptions on it. He slides it to me, and upon further inspection, I noticed it doesn't take a key...

"Open it", Seanair instructs. This must be a joke, I look at him puzzled and ask, "How? It does have a keyhole."

Johannes looks at me, and nods his head, "Very well then." He gets up again this time he returns with what looks like a very old journal.

"This used to belong to Elspeth, she said to pass this one to you when the time is right, based on that dream you had I would say the time is right. If you have any questions you can come back to me. But this is a journey you will have to follow on your own lassy, you are no longer a bairn as the Scots would say, so no point in me treating you as such. Finish up your breakfast and find a peaceful place to discover why you have decided to journey to this dimension."

Cryptic much, in my mind, I think Seanair must be getting old because he is making no sense, but in my soul, I know that he is not one to be trifled with, so I follow his instructions.

We have a fruit garden, Da says he is hoping it attracts snakes, he has long since eaten barbequed snake, and apparently, it tastes like chicken but better.

I choose to sit under the cherry blossoms, they are bare of fruit but they look most beautiful without their fruit, and brings me a sense of peace without failure every time. I take one last look at our kitchen windows situated at the back of the house before I dive into the book that was handed to me.

April 8th, 1888,

It is good to be one with my dreams, I am grateful to my predecessor for keeping a diary, and I do hope whoever comes after me keeps a detailed ledger too, we wouldn't want the next in line to be lost would we? I just finished reading the diary of my ma, she passed away ten days ago and I have been having the strangest dreams that I cannot explain but they feel like deja vu. I spoke to great gran and she handed me two journals which I will treasure till my dying day. I hope that I will be the one to explain to my protégé what will happen to them but I know not who will receive the gift after me. According to the very first journal, the gift chooses not gender but the type of soul the receiver of the gift has. I will be barring the previous books, I will ne say as these words are intended for the gifted not for nosey eyes, so when you get this book open the box given to you by my A charaid Anam. After you complete reading this journal of mine, you will understand your place in this dimension, and you will also fall asleep and dream of how to open the box, I speak of experience.

May I add this entire journal is written in old Scottish Gaelic, how I understood the words is beyond me, I mean of course my grandparents often spoke old Scottish Gaelic but I only picked up the meanings here and there and never bothered to use iTranslate, I assumed they changed languages for privacy reasons.

And what is up with the cryptic today? Anyway, from what I gather from the first entry, my family has secrets that are only made known to elite family members

May 6th, 1888

My morning dream was of the future, I awoke with the urgency to leave home, so I did just that and found myself in the Americas, what strange cultures they have here indeed, I am met with the person in my dreams, he knows about our family gift and how we bring the new gifted into the know and has asked that he remained unknown for another will dream of him, so I shall respect his wishes. My dream has led me to him and upon enquiring why, he taught me things about my gifts I was never aware of, he has told me that when I dream of my own face never trust her as she wants what no longer belongs to her and to never meet up with myself. I find it odd but my heart says to trust the lad and that I will do.

I suppose the purpose of my journey was to learn more of my gift, I do not regret the money spent on my travels. I will have to find work as a baker until I have enough funds to ship back to the highlands.

Again, very cryptic; now I know that my "gift" consists of more than just dreaming. I did note that Seanmhair mentioned following her dreams as if they spoke to her as a person, I wonder if there is more to my dreams that just felt real. Perhaps I should find the man in my dream and find out what he wants and what he means by

"Now wake up and find us before it is too late." The sense of urgency I felt was rather compelling and it is scratching at me now that I am thinking about my dream. Where do I begin? Do I finish the journal or do I start packing and even if I did, how do I know where to go? I am not aware of any place as I have seen in my dream.

After spending hours on G****e with no luck whatsoever, I have concluded it would be best

if I just continue reading Seanmhair's journal until I get to open the box and take it from there. She was always such an open and honest person, to know that this is this whole side of her that I never knew is a bit startling I will admit that.

"Scarlette?!, It's time for lunch!" I hear the voice of my grandfather calling.

"Coming Seanair!" I responded back. Wow, when Seanmhair said to keep a detailed journal she meant it, daily logs for months. Luckily it seems that I will still be able to finish the journal today.

After lunch I asked Seanair if he needed me to do anything or go anywhere he said to focus on the journal, so I went to lie in the sunroom.

I could tell that it was nearing supper time because it was starting to get dark in the sunroom, being winter and all. I have finished the journal in case you were wondering, and all this before supper.

Dashing into the kitchen where my grandfather was preparing the table for us to sit and eat, I announced "I know how to open the box! Where is it?

My grandfather turns around startled and nearly drops a plate. Glaring at me he states "You have not eaten since lunch, you will have a meal with me, get ready for bed, and then you may have the box back, understood?

"But Seanair, I want to get this over and done with, oh pretty please?" Shaking his head he looks at me with determination

"Are you back chatting? After all these years?" Looking at my feet ashamed of my behavior, I make my way to the kitchen sink to wash my hands and sit at the table for supper.

Please explain to me what was so difficult about that?" Nothing Seanair, I say back "Hm" He huffs, taking that as my queue, I get up and head to the shower, after I am ready for bed I see the box on my nightstand. So I make my way to my grandfather and hug him around the waist

"Thank you for the box Seanair, I love you! Sleep well." I say kissing his cheek and heading back to my room. As my grandmother's journal instructed I closed my eyes and pictured the box opening with my hands in an upside-down triangle near my belly button, like a Buddha (Click) I opened my eyes, holy guacamole! That actually worked?! Without further, I open the box and find more journals, and then most importantly the amulet Seanmhair mentioned was most important to put around my neck the moment I open the box, it's nothing fancy, just some silver in the form of a knot, she explained in her journal that our predecessor in the medieval era had the amulet charmed to protect them from weapons forged against us, whatever that mean. I love the amulet, it looks very minimalistic and classy.

I looked into the box to find a ring as well. Seanmhair's journal did not say anything about it, so I will not touch it yet. I also see a beautiful dagger. For now, I will go and sleep. I see seven more diaries and my eyes are burning at the thought of reading another one today. I suppose I have something to keep me busy for the next week.

The next morning, I woke up as I did the previous morning, the difference this time? I actually packed my duffel bag and booked a ticket to New Orleans.