Loved By The Vampires

by Lilly Wilder

  “Isn’t that what you do?” Mina wondered, hoping that this question wouldn’t leave them feeling offended.

  “You’d better explain it to her, Rose,” Reeba smiled at the girl who was talking.

  “That’s what we used to do, of course,” Rose continued, rising up, obviously happy with the way the dry pile was looking. It was finally ready. “We would gain access to the Dark One, offer him our devotion, maybe even a sacrifice, and he’d grant us supernatural powers. Everyone always thought that was the only reason why we did it, just so we could get those powers and harm those around us.”

  Mina had to admit, she was thinking that same thing. Witches were bad, everyone knew that. Witches were also in communion with the Devil. But, this was the 21st century. Many things had changed since the day the first witch walked the earth.

  “But, that’s not true,” Rose continued, smiling at Mina. “The Dark One is too busy nowadays to come to us, he’s having too much fun out in the human world. He would come to us, of course, but only if we gave him a blood offering. As you can see, we have no such thing on us.”

  Despite her best efforts not to do so, Mina quickly surveyed the clearing for any possible blood offerings. She was relieved when she saw no such thing.

  “Then, what is the purpose of this Sabbath, if not to talk to the Devil?” Mina wondered.

  “We wish to speak with our elders,” Rose explained.

  “Your elders?” Mina repeated.

  “The ones who have crossed over.”

  “You talk to the dead?” Mina asked.

  “Their bodies are dead, but their spirits are very much alive. So, yes, in a way, we talk to the dead. We seek answers to important questions that plague us, we seek guidance. Tonight, that is exactly what we shall do.”

  This sentence signaled to Mina that the conversation was over. The girls, holding hands, closed their eyes, and started chanting. A raven croaked somewhere in the distance and a wolf howled immediately afterwards. Mina felt a sudden rush of goosebumps, and there was a spasmodic need to turn around her, to make sure that they were safe. But, she knew that they were. No animal would touch them, even they knew better than to interrupt a Witches’ Sabbath on All Hallow’s Eve.

  Rose extracted a gold encrusted lighter, with an embroidered letter L, out of her dress pocket and lit the pile. The flames rose up into the dark heavens abruptly, sparkling like diamonds. The fire crackled sonorously, eager to tell an ancient story to any ears that were willing to listen. The shadows danced around the bonfire, as the somber figures of the girls twirled around in unison.

  Their chanting was melodiously contagious. Mina didn’t know the words, in fact, she was sure she’d never heard the song before, but it somehow, sounded familiar. She was on the verge of opening her mouth and joining in, led by a gut feeling. She felt like she’d heard that language in a dream, long forgotten, but now, aching to come out to the surface.

  Rose had her arms high up in the air, in a silent prayer to the Dark One. Her lips were moving, but she wasn’t chanting the same song. Mina could see that she was saying something different, even though no voice was heard. Her eyes were closed, and she’d come so close to the fire that Mina was about to jump at her in an effort to save her from throwing herself into the flames. Somehow, Rose could sense the heat and despite her lack of vision, she’d stop just before the fire, then take a step back, then repeat it again, following the rhythm of the song that was spreading all around her.

  When she’d made that cycle several times, the girls stopped dancing. Still holding hands, they were standing in one place, their heads raised up to the skies, necks in an abnormal position, their eyes closed, mouths open. Rose was doing the same. Her hair flew violently in the wind, her face hidden from plain sight. The flames exploded all around her, licking the hem of her dress. Mina was scared that Rose would burst into flames any minute, but she was instructed not to interfere, as that might ruin the Sabbath. She had to stay put, even though that seemed the hardest thing to do right now.

  The flames flickered in the wind, changing colors. First, they were red, and Mina thought for a second she could see a thousand impertinent eyes peering at her from the blaze. Red changed into yellow, a light that seemed to encompass the brilliance of a thousand suns. Yellow then became blue and the fire seemed to die down a little, as if it was quivering in the wind, burning with its last morsels of energy.

  Rose’s head lowered and she turned to Mina. Her eyes opened unnaturally wide, her arms flung down lifelessly. Slowly, her body started hovering, lifting itself a few inches from the ground. Her mouth was still open, her eyes turned all white, as if she had gone blind in an instant. She looked frightening, but Mina couldn’t look away. She was mesmerizing.

  A sound started coming out of Rose’s mouth, as the chanting subsided, but it never completely stopped. That same sound was inaudible at first, then Mina had the strangest feeling that she recognized that voice, she knew it, she’d heard it somewhere before.

  “Uuuuh… Yooooouu…. Naaaaaa…. Suuuuuun….”

  The sounds reverberated all around Mina, as she tried to understand what Rose was trying to say. She wracked her brain trying to remember why she remembered that voice, who it belonged to.

  “Miiiiiiiiiiii….. Naaaaaaaa….” Rose spoke her real name, and it was then that Mina remembered.

  That voice belonged to her mother. She gasped silently, her heart beating like a race horse’s. She felt like the ground beneath her feet was moving and she was getting dizzier by the minute. There was a sweet smell of mint all around her. There was so much of it that it started stinging her eyes. She rubbed them a little. The heavy scent was now in her nose, it was getting increasingly difficult to breathe. She started coughing, overwhelmed by the smell.

  “Let it overpower you…”

  Words kept coming out of Rose’s open mouth, flowing out like an endless river and all Mina needed to do was listen. She tried to take a deep breath, but the minty smell was now stuck in her throat, like clenching fingers unwilling to let go.

  “Accept it….”

  Mina closed her eyes and fell down to her knees. She was coughing violently now, her eyes burning, tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt the urge to vomit. She tried, but nothing came out, only some more of that sickly sweet air.

  “Recognize it…”

  “Momma!!!!” Mina screamed loudly with the pain.

  The moment she said that, the scent dispersed, there was nothing but air inside her mouth and her nose. She was coughing less violently now, able to take a deep breath. A few seconds later, she was breathing properly again.

  She got back up to her feet, feeling how the air got much colder. As she exhaled, silvery clouds formed in front of her mouth. Bells jingled somewhere in the distance. The same wolf howled again, closer this time.

  “Momma?” Mina whispered, looking at Rose.

  Rose’s face was blank, just like the faces of all the other girls who were still facing upwards, humming the same tune over and over again. Her mouth was in the shape of an O, but the words that came out of it were clearly audible. Mina realized that Rose was just a vessel for a witch who wanted to talk to them, to someone special who was present. This time, it was her.

  Mina was still unsure whether this was really happening. It was all still a big blur inside her mind, and she had no idea whether she could believe her own eyes. Was her cover blown? Was this whole thing just a set up? But, Reeba didn’t know anything about her. She couldn’t have known. Could she?

  Mina wasn’t sure anymore. She took special care never to mention anything regarding her real identity to anyone here. Could it be that everything she’d heard so far about her mother, was complete and unadulterated truth?

  “Mina?”

  Mina heard her real name being spoken again, and now, she was sure that the voice really belonged to her mother. There was no doubt about it. A mother’s voice could never be mistaken for someo
ne else’s.

  “Momma?” she whispered again, her voice on the verge of cracking.

  “I know you’re confused, Minnie…” the voice spoke softly, and when Mina heard her nickname, she felt like she would break down and cry right then and there.

  But, she couldn’t do that. She needed to be strong. Her mother had something important to tell her, otherwise she wouldn’t be here.

  “Momma, can you come here?” Mina whimpered, her voice full of hope that she could hug her mom just one last time.

  “You know that’s not possible, Minnie,” the voice spoke.

  At that moment, smoke arose from the fire and wrapped Rose’s face, giving her the appearance of Mina’s mother. This time, Rose’s lips moved, and it looked like Mina’s mother was speaking.

  “I just want to hug you,” Mina bit her lip, in a futile effort to displace the pain and prevent herself from crying.

  “There’s nothing I’d like to do more than that, my sweet child but we cannot do that, not yet.”

  These words made Mina hopeful.

  “You are here for a reason,” Mina’s mother continued, “and one of them is to find out the truth about me. About yourself.”

  “Myself?” Mina wondered, looking at the foggy figure.

  “Yes, Minnie,” her mother’s voice was as gentle as always and Mina remembered bed time stories, kisses on rainy days, and hot cups of cocoa before bed. “You are like me, a witch.”

  “I’m a witch?” Mina repeated.

  It seemed so incredible and, yet, on second thought, it made perfect sense.

  “You are so much more, my sweet Minnie,” her mother told her, “you are the keeper of the book.”

  “But…” Mina lowered her head. “I lost the book. Kellam and I lost it…”

  A foggy finger lowered itself to her chin and she felt a cool chill on her skin.

  “You didn’t lose it,” the voice revealed.

  “What do you mean?” Mina asked, confused.

  “There is no time,” her mother spoke, “your brother will explain everything when he finds you.”

  “But, he’s the one who’s lost!” Mina shouted, much louder than she’d intended. “I’m looking for him!”

  Mina didn’t care that the other girls would hear what she was saying, and that they might figure out that she’d been lying to them all this time. All that was irrelevant right now. She was talking to her mother and her mother obviously knew something about Kellam, something Mina herself didn’t know.

  “Where is he?” Mina pleaded. “Do you know? Please, tell me!”

  “I can’t,” her mother spoke kindly, “but he is closer than you think. The book is safe, for now. But, he doesn’t have the power that you have. He can only keep it safe for a while, but they’ll find him and take it from him. You must keep it safe. You are the only one who can do it.”

  “Me?” Mina was shocked. “I… I don’t even know what to do with it…”

  “It doesn’t matter,” her mother spoke so softly that Mina knew she was smiling, “the moment the book is in your hands, you’ll know what to do.”

  “Momma?” Mina cried. “Help me…”

  “My sweet child… you don’t need my help, you never did. You are braver than you think, just believe in yourself, and let your heart guide you…”

  The cold, cloudy hand caressed her cheek one last time, then the figure dispersed all around her. Mina lifted her hand and pressed it against that same spot. Her cheek was still chilled, a little wet to the touch. She smiled. Her heart was full.

  Rose’s body magically lowered itself to the ground, but instead of standing on her feet, she slumped down like a rag doll without any control over her body. The humming slowly subsided, until only silence remained. The fire now flickered gently, the flames a strange mixture of red, orange and occasionally blue. It crackled softly, telling its story. The girls let go of one another’s hands, and opened their eyes. When they saw that Rose was on the ground, they rushed over to her, helping her up.

  Mina watched all this with interest, not sure when it was allowed for her to interfere and offer her help. Rose hid her face with her palms, then rubbed her eyes. When she opened them again, she gazed at Mina.

  “She spoke to you, didn’t she?” Rose asked.

  The others turned to Mina. She couldn’t tell if any of them was aware of what just happened.

  “I…”

  That was all Mina was able to utter. She didn’t know if she could trust any of them.

  “Did someone speak to you?” Reeba asked, repeating the question.

  Obviously, only Rose was aware, though partly. The others weren’t.

  “It was…” Mina started, then bit her lip.

  “Your mother,” Rose finished her sentence.

  Mina swallowed heavily. Her heart was beating inside her chest so violently that she felt like it was about to jump out and run away, leaving her with an empty shell.

  “I could sense the powerful connection between the two of you,” Rose continued, as the others looked on.

  Mina could see the astonishment on Reeba’s face. That was probably the last thing she expected. Mina wasn’t sure if Rose had anticipated any of it, not that it mattered much.

  “When Reeba said you wanted to come, I said no at first,” Rose admitted.

  Mina didn’t know this. Reeba hadn’t told her.

  “But, when I opened the Empress in my tarot cards that evening, I knew that I needed to stop and think again. I wasn’t listening to something important that I was being told. See, I was right,” she smiled.

  That smile told Mina that she was safe, she was among friends.

  “Your mother wanted you here. She couldn’t get you here on her own, you see. No witch has that power when she crosses over. But, she made you curious. She made me rethink my decision. Your presence here is her doing, after all.”

  Mina felt another gush of tears coming on but she managed to suppress it. This was no time for crying.

  “She was the keeper of the Book,” Rose continued. “When she died, she had given it to your brother for safe keeping but the real keeper of the Book is you.”

  “Me?” Mina wondered.

  “Yes, you were just too little for the job when she died. So, your brother took over, until you come of age.”

  “Do you know where my brother is?” she asked.

  “No,” Rose shook her head. “All I know is what your mother allowed me to know. She was inside my head, my body, and my thoughts were her thoughts. It doesn’t go the other way around. I only know what she lets me see and hear. And, that wasn’t much.”

  “So, you know who I am?” Mina asked, her voice down to a whisper.

  Rose looked at the other girls, then back at Mina.

  “Your secret is safe with us,” she assured her.

  “What secret?” Reeba asked quickly and Rose smiled.

  “Maybe you’d like to explain it to them yourself?” Rose urged Mina.

  Mina swallowed, feeling a dry lump somewhere in her throat which wouldn’t go away. Yes, she felt like she owed Reeba an explanation, after everything.

  “My name isn’t Lucy Wing,” Mina started, and Reeba’s eyes widened in shock. “It’s Mina Payton.”

  “Mina Payton?” Reeba repeated her name. “Wait, your brother is Kellam Peyton?”

  “Who’s that?” another girl asked.

  “He’s a famous vampire slayer,” Reeba explained, eyeing Mina suspiciously.

  “What?” a few girls gasped, looking at Mina distrustfully.

  “Yes,” Reeba nodded, “and, she is as famous as he is, if not more.”

  “I can explain…” Mina started, but the look on Reeba’s face told her how deeply hurt Reeba was. “Please, just hear me out.”

  “Do you have any idea of the position you just put us in?” Reeba asked, incredulously.

  “Just listen to her,” Rose urged her.

>   “But, Rose…” Reeba started.

  “Give her a chance, Reeba. Trust me. Trust your heart. Listen to what it is telling you.”

  “Fine,” Reeba snorted. “I can hear you out but I don’t have to understand.”

  “I just want to explain,” Mina pleaded.

  “I’m listening.”

  “My brother went missing,” Mina started, “and so did the book. Your book. The one my mother kept safe all her life, then it was given to my brother and me, but I had no idea that my mother was a witch. I just thought that this book was important and we would give it back to whoever it belonged to. I guess I’ve been kept in the dark most of my life.”