“How do you know it’s human infested?” Iris asked.
“Because the centaurs assumed we were human,” the bright-haired witch replied.
“Well, if that’s the case, then we can use psychoscopy to get inside,” Beatrix suggested in a high-pitched voice. “Right, Cole?”
“Yeah… but that guard isn’t just going to let me touch him,” I responded. “We’re going to have to find a way to trick him into shaking my hand or something. Then I’ll be able to get inside his mind, and he’ll tell us the password.”
I stared at each witch, and then my eyes landed on Morgana. Today, she had decided to wear her mother’s gold locket, and as I stared at the shimmering piece of jewelry, an idea sprang to mind.
“What?” Morgana asked in a tentative tone. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Give me your necklace,” I ordered. “Trust me, I have an idea.”
“Alright,” she responded before she obediently unclasped the locket and then handed it to me.
“What’s your plan, Cole?” Faye asked, and her green-gold eyes were focused intently on my face.
“I’m going to trick the guard into thinking I’ll trade him,” I explained. “Then, when he reaches over to touch the necklace, I’ll ask him for the password. Worst case scenario, it doesn’t work, and he’ll take the necklace as compensation to get inside, but of course I’ll steal it back before we move on. Sounds good?”
The others all nodded quickly in agreement, but Morgana looked absolutely crestfallen. I knew this was her mother’s necklace, and it meant a great deal to her, so I moved forward to reassure her.
“Just trust me, Morgana,” I said as I placed a finger under her chin and raised her face to meet my eyes. “I’ve never let you down before, have I? I’m just laying out all the possibilities.”
“I know.” She smiled. “Okay, I’m ready… let’s do this.”
I smiled as I tucked the necklace into my pocket and then looked at each witch. We had absolutely no idea what was beyond those gates, aside from humans, and they were one of the greatest threats of all.
But we were powerful witches. And, together, we could do fucking anything.
So, I took a deep breath as we stepped out of the trees and approached the towering, sand-colored gates, and I focused on the armored man waiting beyond the wooden portcullis. Even though a part of me was worried my plan wouldn’t work, I had to set my fears and doubts aside. The idea was to get in, find the other stone using nothing but our newly developed premonition skills, and then get out.
We could do this. I knew we fucking could.
As we came closer, I quickly glanced upward and stared at the archers on top of the stone wall fortification. Now that we were just a few feet away, I realized the top of the walls were decorated with the heads of centaurs on wooden spikes, and on the stone walls, written in dark blood, were the words ‘the discovery of magic of any kind will be met with punishment or confinement. All magical beasts will be taken into custody upon arrival.’ I immediately knew our kind wouldn’t be welcomed with open arms, so we had to be extra careful. We edged closer toward the entrance, and as soon as we were directly in front of the city gate, the guard approached the giant portcullis and nearly stuck his head through one of the square openings to get a better look at us.
“Stop!” the gatekeeper called out. “Who goes there?”
He was a short and bulky man with brown, bloodshot eyes and rotting teeth. He had dark strands of greasy hair escaping from his helmet, and when he brushed it out of his eyes, I noticed his short, black nails and calloused hands.
Before I answered his question, I cleared my throat and offered him a friendly smile.
“Greetings,” I said. “We happen to be a group of humble travelers in need of rest and supplies. Would you be so kind as to let us in?”
“Not without a password, I’m afraid,” he barked back.
“What about payment instead?” I suggested with a broad smile.
The gatekeeper raised an arched eyebrow and then stepped a little closer toward the gate, so I figured he didn’t want his archer companions to hear about this next part.
“How much are we talking?” he asked with a yellow-toothed smirk.
I smiled, pulled out Morgana’s locket, and let it dangle in front of him. The piece of jewelry caught the light of the setting sun and shimmered across the guard’s pockmarked face. His lips twitched into a greedy smile, and then he reached over to touch it.
As soon as his fingers pinched the necklace, I snatched his hand and yanked him forward through the small square opening.
“What the hell are you doing?” he snapped. “Let me go.”
I stared into his eyes and then focused as intently as possible.
“What is the password?” I whispered.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he growled as I held onto his hand with a firm grip. “I’m going to--”
“Secretum mentis,” I muttered as I stared into his brownish-green eyes.
As I squeezed his hand tightly, his eyes instantly went wide, and his body violently trembled. Then his mouth parted slightly open before he looked at me with confusion and curiosity.
“It’s Morningstar,” he breathed.
I quickly released him and snatched the necklace from his slimy grip. Then I raised my hand above his eyes, and before he could shout for the other guards, I waved my hand in one quick motion.
“Obliviscatur,” I whispered.
The guard’s sickly eyes grew even wider, and then his entire body went rigid, and it appeared as if he were paralyzed. For a terrifying second, I was afraid I did something wrong.
“Everything alright down there, Robb?” an archer yelled from above.
After what felt like an eternity, the guard twitched and shook his head. Then he squinted his eyes at us in confusion before he scratched his chin.
“W-Who are you?” he asked. “When did you get here…? I don’t remember seeing you approach the gates.”
“Ah,” I said with a forced smile. “Sometimes too much sun can cause memory loss… I was just telling you that we were travelers, returning home after a long and arduous journey.”
“Oh,” he said with vacant eyes. “Well, I’ll need the password, I’m afraid.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “It’s Morningstar.”
“Well, come on in,” he beckoned with a toothy grin. “Welcome home.”
The guard took a few steps back and then yanked on a chain to raise the portcullis, and I could feel the witches breathing sighs of relief as we slowly stepped through the gate and into the filthy, human city. As soon as we ventured deeper inside, we were overwhelmed by the echoes of chitter-chatter as peasants, farmers, and blacksmiths raced through the cobblestone streets.
There were rows of vibrantly colored tents and wooden market stands stretched out along the road before us, and everywhere we looked, it seemed like someone was either bargaining or arguing with each other. Dirt covered children were playing without any adult supervision on the street corners, and women tossed buckets of dirty water out of their cottage windows, and I had to jump back as one splattered right in front of me.
“Gross.” I curled my lips in disgust as I stepped around the brown, putrid water. The others followed my lead, and we were doing our best to walk together in a group down the narrow, stinking streets.
“Satan,” Akira grunted behind me. “Humans are truly disgusting creatures.”
“Agreed,” Vesta muttered. “Positively filthy creations.”
“I’d rather be dealing with another herd of centaurs,” Faye grumbled. “They may hate humans and Wiccans, but at least they’re cleaner.”
“Be that as it may,” I muttered, “we need to pretend to be one of them… so keep quiet and act as if you’re looking around.”
“Cole,” Morgana whispered as she edged closer to me. “Do you still see the star?”
“Yes,” I said as I looked up at the
purple and pink sky, “it’s leading us north.”
“To what, though?” Penelope asked.
“I don’t know,” I responded. “My skills aren’t that advanced yet. All I know is that we’re getting closer.”
“How are we even going to find this second stone?” Beatrix asked as she chewed on her lower pink lip.
“By premonition,” I answered confidently, “and by being smart.”
“Satan,” Ivy breathed with wide, pale green eyes. “We should be careful… I thought I just saw a basilisk tooth for sale.”
“That’s a black-market item,” Morgana gasped as she whipped around to stare at the twin. “Are you sure that’s what you saw?”
“I’m almost certain,” the blue-streaked twin replied.
As I looked around, I was starting to pick up on some suspicious behavior, and the farther north we trekked, the more people began to act shiftily. People wore dark-colored cloaks that hid most of their faces, and transactions were taking place underneath tables and behind booths.
Then I spotted jars of hearts, pickled organs, vials of blood, and small signs that read, ‘Wicca hair, teeth, and other parts for sale.’
“Yeah, this is definitely black-market territory,” I hissed. “Stay close… if someone even suspects us of being magical, they’re going to skin us alive.”
“Satan,” the twins breathed in unison.
“My word,” Vesta gasped as she placed a hand over her chest. “I’ll never unsee this.”
“Be calm,” I reminded the group without turning around. “If we act like we know where we’re going, no one will suspect a thing.”
As we moved onward, I spotted more Wicca related items for sale, and I heard Faye gasp when we passed by a booth of skinned ferrets.
According to the sign, they were a rare delicacy.
“This place is fucking disgusting,” Akira hissed, and her black eyes flashed with hatred. “I can’t believe they can get away with this shit.”
“Keep your voice down,” Morgana warned her. “You never know who could be listening.”
“She’s right,” I added. “Keep quiet until we reach our destination.”
The star above us was beginning to fade from view, and I wondered how much farther we’d have to walk past booths of black-market items before we ended up wherever we needed to be. The sun was about to set, and night would soon fall upon us, and the last thing I wanted to do was wander through a black-market in the dead of night. I craned my neck to stare up at the sky, and my eyes were so focused on the star above me that I almost didn’t see the small, hunchbacked man who jumped right into my path.
“Shit,” I grunted as I stumbled to a halt. “Watch it.”
“Hello, there.” The man smiled. “Pleasant evening to the lot of you.”
I quickly studied the old man, and I noticed he was missing a few teeth, and the ones he did have were either yellow or charcoal black. He was garbed in a brown robe with many different holes and stains, and his eyes were sunken and bloodshot. He looked as if he hadn’t eaten a proper meal for weeks, which might explain his desperation to get our attention. He was clearly looking to make a sale, but I decided to play dumb.
“Err, hello,” I said. “Can I help you?”
“No, but I might be able to help you,” he croaked. “Could I interest you in some Wicca eyeballs? I’m selling a jar for twelve gold coins, and you’ll never get a better deal than that.”
“Oh, no, thank you,” I muttered as I tried to swerve around him.
“And why not?” he asked a little louder. “You think I’m trying to swindle you? You think you can find a better deal elsewhere? No one with any common fucking sense would deny such a gracious bargain.”
“No,” I repeated in a lower voice. “I’m just not interested.”
“Why in the lord’s name would you not be interested?” he spat. “You’re a disrespectful little shit, you know that?”
Several customers and vendors were turning in our direction, and they were not the kind of people we wanted attention from. Most of them were large, broad-shouldered men with tattoos and weapons hanging from their belts, and I knew they were growing suspicious, or at least curious about what was going on. So, as the old man continued to blubber and draw more attention toward us, I grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eye.
“Alright,” I snapped before I forced myself to loosen my grip. “We’ll take a look around your store.”
“Ah.” He grinned. “Excellent, follow me!”
He waddled off into a different direction from the star, and we had no choice but to follow him into a small, weathered down hut. The women followed me, and I knew they were afraid, but they were smart enough to keep their mouths sealed as we entered the disturbing little hut.
“Lovely group of women you have with you,” the man croaked as we entered his cluttered store.
The hut was filled with all kinds of weapons, vials, jars, and stomach-churning items. I thought I spotted a pale green skinsuit, and I could only imagine that it belonged to some poor witch who was skinned alive.
“Now, where did I put that jar…?” the old man muttered to himself. “I’m sure it’s here somewhere.”
As he rummaged through his clutter, I glanced back out a small narrow window, and to my horror, I noticed the star was beginning to fade.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“What is it?” Akira whispered.
“The star.” I nodded toward the window. “I know you can’t see it, but it’s fading from view… I never realized the spell had a time stamp… I guess Theodora failed to mention that.”
“Fuck,” Penelope said with wide brown eyes. “What are we going to do?”
I looked at the vile old man as he continued to rummage through his abhorrent collection. Then I glanced at the rack of weapons he had hanging on a nearby wall, and without hesitation, I raised my hand and focused on a golden dagger with silver markings.
Motus.
The dagger flew from the wall and then ended up in my hand, and when the old man turned to me with wide, panicked eyes, his lips parted open in shock and disgust.
“Sorcery,” he hissed as he took a small step back.
Before he could open his mouth wide enough to scream, I bolted over a table and then swiftly slashed his veiny throat with one quick, deep slice. He gurgled as warm crimson blood pulsed out of his neck, and then his eyes rolled into the back of his head before he collapsed on top of his merchandise. Bottles and vials came crashing down on the floor, and I knew someone would have heard the noise.
We had to get out of here and follow the star before it completely disappeared from view.
“Let’s get a fucking move on,” I said as I tucked the dagger into my waistband. “Quickly, we’re running out of time.”
The women followed me as I sprinted out the door and back into the street. By now, the sun was blood red, and the star was light pink and barely visible.
“We have to hurry,” I panted. “I have a feeling the star will be gone as soon as night falls.”
People turned their heads as we sprinted north and past the different vendors and booths, and finally, we came across a tall, expansive sand-colored stone building. It was the most beautiful building we had come across in the entire city, and it felt as if it had been built for royalty. The stones were even and perfectly square, and the windows were all made from stained glass. There were balconies covered with vines and wildflowers on the top floor, and we could hear music playing from within. Men were staggering in and out of the grand, intricately carved wooden doors, and each one of them looked drunker than the last.
“What is this place?” Vesta asked from behind me.
I focused on the smooth stones and strained to listen to what was going on beyond the doors, and I could practically smell the sex, perfume, and spiced meat wafting from the balconies and open windows. When I looked up at the sky, I noticed the blood star had vanished entirely, and shimmering n
ight stars were emerging. I glanced back down at the beautiful but strange building, and at that moment, I knew exactly what we were up against.
“It’s a brothel,” I said, “and the Defero is inside.”
Chapter 11
As drunkards and patrons continued to stumble in and out of the brothel, I narrowed my eyes and then tried to perceive any potential security. There was no one guarding the crowded doors, and even after I muttered the periculum incantation in my head to be sure, I couldn’t detect any dangers surrounding us.
At least, not yet.
“It’s clear to go in,” I muttered to the others, “but stay fucking close… we have no idea what could be lurking inside that brothel. Also, cover yourselves up with your hoods and smear dirt on your faces. We don’t want the men in there to get the wrong impression.”
“Right.” Morgana nodded as each witch slid their hoods over their heads and then rubbed grime and dirt over their beautiful faces.
“How unattractive,” Vesta murmured as she gently rubbed dirt onto her goddess-like face.
“That’s the idea,” Faye snickered.
“Let’s go in and try to find the stone,” Akira demanded in an impatient tone.
“Um, hold up,” Penelope hissed. “Just how the hell are we going to do that, exactly? I know Cole has advanced premonition skills, but it’s not as if we can just walk in, and he’ll know exactly where it is.”
“Oh, and standing out here in the dark and cold is a better idea?” Akira snapped.
“No,” the bright-haired witch grunted before turning to look at me with her doe-like eyes. “Cole… do you have a plan?”
Men continued to stumble past us, and thankfully, they paid little attention to our group. With our pale and dirty cloaks, we must have looked like a group of beggars, so before I responded, I pulled up my own hood and then looked around.
“We’ll improvise a plan,” I replied in a firm tone. “Trust me… we’ll find the Defero. There has to be one particular room where they keep precious artifacts. There’s no way they’d be lying out in the open, not with drunkards constantly stumbling in and out.”
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