Redemption by Veronique Launier Page B

Antoine’s parental authority. Garnier was different.
    We sat on the edge of the roof and let our feet dangle. “Marguerite became obsessed shortly after she left me,” Garnier said. “I don’t know much about it, only that she discovered that a shaman’s power comes from the same place as a witch’s. Technically, they are both essentialists.”
    “Yes, exactly. But the shamans have learned how to reach their essence in a different manner. The more powerful shamans can manipulate the essence of other creatures. Usually trees, or forest animals.”
    “How about gargoyles?”
    “It was a theory the de Rouen witches had feared all along, and why our people never mingled until Marguerite,” I said.
    “She had a way of sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.” Garnier smiled fondly.
    I lit a cigarette while we both thought of Marguerite. I took a drag and spoke what was on my mind.
    “Aude can hear the mind voice.” I said it simply. Like it was no big deal.
    Garnier’s eyes widened. “But the de Rouen witch line ended. Didn’t it? Marguerite died. You said you saw it yourself.”
    “She did. But there’s obviously something more we don’t know and I can’t help but believe it is linked to Aude’s Native heritage,” I said.
    “I don’t even know what question to ask first.”
    I sighed. “I don’t have all the answers yet, but I’m so close. And I can swear she transferred essence without even meaning to. I feel energized this morning.”
    “Maybe we should tell the others about this, they can shift the direction of their research.”
    I wondered about it. Was I confident enough that I believed we should put all our eggs in one basket? Perhaps, but if I was wrong, I would be to blame for turning to stone. I couldn’t do this to them again. I couldn’t bear that guilt for seven more decades.
    “I don’t know. Maybe tell them about it, but not to abandon their other research?”
    “Why don’t you tell them?” he asked.
    “Antoine and I … ” I started.
    “The tension will go away, Guillaume.”
    I nodded. “But it’s still just easier if you did.”
    “All right.”
    We stood up and hesitated before climbing back down to the apartment. “Do you want to come with me and visit Aude at work?” I didn’t know what compelled me to invite him along, but it felt right. We used to do everything together.
    Garnier raised his eyebrows at me.
    “I’d like to see why she left early yesterday. ”
    He agreed with me and we returned to the apartment. Before we could go anywhere, though, Antoine stopped us.
    “Garnier, I need to talk to you. Guillaume, too, if you could join us.”
    It seemed to be serious and I didn’t know how to refuse. We followed him to the dining room where Vincent was perched over a laptop. He looked up.
    “So I researched the dead birds,” he said.
    “The dead birds?”
    “The ones that had fallen all around us when we were awoken. I did a lot of research. There have been many instances like this all over the world.”
    Vincent sighed. “It seems to be linked to a prophecy; and I think it might link to your research, Guillaume. The Prophecy of the Seventh Generation.”
    The shaman’s words to Aude returned to my memory. He had greeted her as a child of the seventh generation. “Is this an Iroquois prophecy?”
    “It sure is,” Vincent said. “Have you encountered it?”
    “Only a vague mention to it. Not much yet, but I still have that meeting with the shaman.”
    Vincent grinned at Antoine. “See, I told you we could let him do his own thing.”
    “I’ll bring it up, but can you tell me what this prophecy is about?” I asked.
    Vincent cleared his throat and read from the website he looked at. “The prophecy tells us that seven generations after the Iroquois Nation’s contact with the Europeans, elm trees will die. Strange animals will be born mutated with missing or incorrect limbs. Huge stone monsters will tear open the earth’s surface. Fish will