Chapter 39

Isabel Fleming stood in the dimly lit, cavernous interior of the old, abandoned cathedral, standing and waiting silently. Her brother-in-law, Greg, stood beside her, equally solemn. This was the secret meeting place of the enigmatic society they had both been a part of for years. But tonight, they had come with a desperate plea. They had been lucky that the council of elders had granted them an audience so fast and so quickly, it could take weeks before they were granted an audience in most cases, but they were fortunate enough to get one after three days.

The cathedral was an eerie, gothic masterpiece, its towering arches and stained glass windows casting haunting shadows in the moonlight. Isabel and Greg were joined by the leaders of the society, who had gathered in a solemn circle.

Isabel's voice trembled as she spoke, "I know we're bound by our oaths of secrecy, but I can't bear that my granddaughter's soul wanders about so aimlessly. As you all know, she has the power to shift her soul, when I found out that she had an accident, I knew she was not gone forever. My dreams have been fervent and they have shown me that she is not gone, but only lost. The ancient bells in this cathedral are the only instrument strong enough to call back her soul. We plead to you to borrow them to us for the ritual."

Greg added, "We're willing to do whatever it takes to bring her back, the bell is a crucial part of the ritual."

The society's leaders exchanged solemn glances before the eldest among them, a woman known as Grandmother, stepped forward. She had always been the wisest and most revered member.

"Isabel, Greg," Grandmother said, her voice as ancient as the cathedral itself, "even if you have the bells, do you have a host body for your daughter's soul to inhabit?"

Greg and Isabel looked at each other and shifted.

"We found a volunteer. She is also a believer of the faith and she has come to us willingly when she heard our call."

The society leaders exchanged glances again.

"If we give you the bells, you must not only promise it's safe return, you must also promise that your granddaughter willingly joins the faith as a member."

Isabel and Greg exchanged a hesitant glance, knowing that this decision would change Goldie's life forever. How would Goldie react to everything they would tell her?! Or everything she was about to tell her?! It was going to be a difficult task. But the thought of having her beloved granddaughter back was too powerful to resist.

After a moment of silence, they nodded in agreement. "We'll do whatever it takes," Isabel affirmed.

The society's leaders, their faces hidden by hoods, nodded in return, and one of them left the dais. Isabel and Greg waited patiently.

After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, one of them returned with a box in her hand. She walked carefully towards them, holding the box as if she was holding a box of eggs. Then when she stood in front of Isabel and Greg, she looked straight at her.

"You're an old and trusted member of the faith Isabel, I don't need to give you a lecture about how important the bells are."

"I will guard them with my life." Isabel said with reverence.

The society leader nodded.

"The bells are to be handled with utmost care and returned right after the ritual. I can't make any promises that you would recover your daughter, but it is worth a trial."

Isabel would have fell to her knees in gratitude if she could, but she couldn't.

"I cannot thank you enough. I shall hold my end of the bargain and keep to my promises."

She continued.

"When Goldie is back with us, she shall join the faith."

.......

After the long stress of preparing for the lunathion ritual, Goldie had been rewarded with icecream from Ellen. Apparently the chef had gone shopping and picked up some of her favorite flavors and desserts. She was ecstatic after a long hard day's work and she saw the icecream.

It was just what she needed.

She stayed and kept Ellen company after that. She couldn't deny that the two of them had become close and they had lots of interests too. Ellen seemed to be the only person apart from Remy who genuinely liked her. The rest of them probably only liked her because she was their alpha's mate. But Ellen liked her for who she was and Goldie had a feeling that Ellen would still like her even if she found out that she wasn't the real Valentina.

As the night fell, she prepared for bed. She and Remy had a routine now. She would shower before bed and he would do the same after her, they would both wait till the other was ready before falling asleep. Goldie would nestle herself in the comforting embrace of Remy's arms, the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat lulling her to sleep.

But this night, another dream plagued her, Goldie found herself in an eerie scene. She found herself in what seemed to be an isolated hospital. As she walked down the white pristine walls of the hospital, she felt particularly drawn to the last door in the hall, so she opened the door.

As she opened the door, she stood motionless, watching as Colin gazed upon her lifeless body. Her real body this time. She was laid out on the gurney, her blond curly hair lay limp on the table. Her body was covered with only a sheet and even with it, she could see her bloodied face and the scars from the accident. Colin's anguished screams pierced the silence, startling her. Desperation welled up inside her, and she tried to call out to him from the other side of the room.

"Colin! Colin! Colin it's me! I'm here!"

He turned to look at her, but then looked away.

"Colin?!"

She called again as she looked at him. He ignored her, his eyes solely focused on her body.

She looked at herself and turned to look at her reflection on the glass door.

Black hair. Blue eyes stared back at her. She wasn't in her body. She was Valentina, how could he recognize her.

Suddenly, she jolted awake, her heart pounding, and she found herself gasping for breath. In her panic, she called out, "Colin!" Remy, was roused from his peaceful slumber, confusion etched across his face.

"Valentina?! Did you have another nightmare?!"

He asked as she looked around gasping for breath.

"Colin."

She murmured again.

"Who's Colin?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity and a slight hint of jealousy.

Caught in the residual tendrils of her unsettling dream, she hesitated, unable to provide a coherent answer. She couldn't tell him who Colin was. He wouldn't understand.

But why was she dreaming about Colin? Was Colin alright?!

She wondered if she needed to see him or talk to him.

Remy, feeling a twinge of insecurity, sighed and nestled back into the sheets, his arms no longer as inviting as they were earlier. Goldie stayed up, wondering what the dream meant. Was there a hidden meaning to the dream? Was the dream trying to tell her something?

This was the first time she ever saw Colin in her dreams. She couldn't quite understand what it meant.

In the quiet of the night, Goldie lay awake, her thoughts a tangled web of memories and emotions. She couldn't shake the haunting image of Colin, the unanswered questions, and the inexplicable connection that still seemed to linger. As dawn approached, she finally closed her eyes, she tried to sleep and she slowly fell into a dreamless slumber.