San Francisco Covens: Crucible

by Manuel Tiger

  His tone was cocky as hell. He looked like the fucking cat that not only ate the canary, but the canary’s whole damn family.

  I shoved him away.

  I hurried after Carmen but drew up short the moment we exited the tunnel and emerged into a cavern that was about the width of three city blocks. Overheard the cavern’s ceiling soared at least a thousand feet.

  But it wasn’t the scope and size of the cavern that had given me pause.

  It was what resided in the cavern.

  “Wow,” I uttered.

  There were six small temple structures, three to the left and three to the right, built atop massive blocks of carved stone that formed an avenue. At the end of the avenue resided a pyramid structure surrounded by lush vegetation. It was topped with what looked a carved jaguar head flanked by eagles. The jaguar’s mouth was open in a scream of eternity.

  “Where are we?” I asked. “This can’t be beneath the church is it?”

  “We are no longer beneath the church,” Sophia answered. “We’re a good four miles away from it.”

  “Really? The walk didn’t feel like it.”

  “Magic,” she said with a wink. “As for where we are at? This is where the shapeshifting warriors of the Aztec’s elite warriors resided. That is, the true jaguar and eagle warriors.”

  “I remember reading about them,” I said. “They were the most fierce and deadliest warriors of their time. Which is saying a lot since the Aztecs were not a peaceful nation.”

  “Correct, but here? They really were jaguar and eagle,” Carmen said. “The priests that lived here took the strongest, the most fierce, and most loyal and gifted them the abilities of the jaguar and eagle, to shapeshift into them,” she said gesturing toward the pyramid. “They were to be used as a final line of defense should any great threat arose. But alas it was for not for they were no match against the Spanish and their diseases that decimated the empire.

  “The few remaining shapeshifters fled into the jungle after the collapse of the Aztec empire. Their descendants would form the various communities that are now under threat or have been wiped out.”

  “What is going on?” I asked.

  “I am sure Sophia has mentioned that some of the jungle communities have come under attack in recent weeks as well as here in Mexico City, yes?” Carmen said as I noticed others began to appear from the structures around us. Young men and women ranging in age from late teens to early twenties all baring steely, hardened gazes. I did not see anyone older than that. “It is not only the jungle communities of shifters but those that reside in the mountains and every place in between. Wherever there was a large concentration of supernatural beings, or even just a handful? They have either been killed or taken prisoner by La Bruja.

  “Now she has set her sights on killing witches, save those that practice the darkest of magic. Those? She has invited to her compound for a ceremony she will be performing tomorrow night. This we just found out in the last hour.”

  “A Calling to the Moon ceremony we have learned,” Sophia said.

  “For what purpose?” Daman asked.

  It was Carmen who answered. “I believe it deals with the artifact you mentioned in your text, the one she stole from the museum. From what our source within managed to get out to us before going quiet, or are dead as I fear they are, they sent us this.” Carmen led the way toward a work station. She went over to a computer and rapidly typed away at the keys. I was surprised they had internet connection this far down. “She is gathering these dark magic brujas to awaken the stone using the moon.”

  “Awaken it?” I said.

  “Sí, yes,” Carmen replied pulling up images onto the screen. They looked to have been photographed from a very old book. The pages depicted a crude drawing of a group of women with lifted arms toward a large circle above them which I assumed was the moon. “The Calling to the Moon ceremony draws forth power from the moon. Any witch can do it, but they must be quite strong to do so. This many witches helping La Bruja? She could only need so many for what resides in the stone that she took must be extremely powerful and requires many to awaken it.” She clicked the mouse and the pages flipped to a stone artifact that looked just like the one stolen from the museum.

  “The Witch Stone,” I said.

  “That is what we have discovered it to be as well,” Carmen replied. “I have heard rumors of it from my grandmother and her mother to her and so on. It was said to be a key that can unleash a great evil in the world.”

  “So, why is she taking supernatural beings as prisoners? What purpose does that serve?” I asked.

  “To begin the ritual of course,” Carmen said. “This particular Calling to the Moon ceremony is based on Aztec ritual. The more blood spilled? The greater the power the witches will be able to pull from the moon.”

  “If you are aware of this ceremony occurring,” Eve said stepping forward. “Why are we not headed there now to this compound to stop it? To attack it?”

  Carmen turned around to face her. “You are a strong witch, yes? Wise one who thinks you’re very capable of sneaking into a heavily guarded compound and grab what you came for? Then quietly leaving?”

  “More than capable,” Eve replied firmly. “I am the best at what I do.”

  “I’m sure that you are,” Carmen said. “And so did the communities that were struck down think the same as you do, but where are they now?” she said gesturing around us with her hand. “This is all that has survived the purge that has been occurring. Some were the best yet fell to La Bruja. They were too cocky. Too overconfident. Why?

  “La Bruja is not your run of the mill witch a few fancy kicks and punches will defeat, no,” Carmen said shaking her head, her ponytail swinging in the air behind her. “She draws her strength, her magic, from Mictlan itself. Some even say she is wed to Mictlantecuhtli himself! The god of the Aztec underworld! That she is his vessel of dark magic and if true? Have you ever gone up against one who is protected by a god?”

  Eve’s face went back into that stoic stoniness before she stepped back and rejoined her group. She had nothing else to say.

  “Wait,” Daman said looking at the people that were standing on the structures. “Are you telling me that this is all of your men? Your soldiers?”

  “If the Elders here would tell their own to join us? We would have legions. But yes, we have been greatly decimated with all the fighting an attacks lately. We have some in recovery,” Carmen said. “But there will be others to greet us on the outskirts of La Bruja’s so called kingdom.”

  “Most of them are children,” I said. “This is going to be a possible war if what occurred at the museum is a hint of the might of Aadya.”

  “We know that and they know that,” Carmen said. “But like me they too are willing to lay their lives down if it means an end to what has been occurring. Most of them have surviving family that was taken by La Bruja. We are planning the strike as the ceremony is occurring when La Bruja and the others are distracted.”

  “Against someone you claim is tied to a god?” Eve said with a smirk. “Is that wise?”

  “We have some witches here.” Carmen nodded toward the temple. “For the last week we have been preparing the remaining witches that we saved or who came to us for the arrival of this moment. We have been giving to them what remains of the old magic that once flowed here,” she said. “That will hopefully give us a slight advantage over La Bruja and the dark witches helping her.”

  “And that of the last magic used to create the were-jaguars.” Sophia said. “We have several descendants of the original bloodline, but it is a weak bloodline. They will be infused with the primal spirits that the priests used to make them stronger.”

  I stared up at the faces that stared back down at us. They were kids mostly, but this was the outcome of war – it made more often widows and orphans than heroes.

  “We may be seeing the end of the supernatural race,” Daman said. “As I told Sophia? What has been happening here? Has
also been happening back in the United States and in Europe,” he said. “I only became aware of it and by that time several of the oldest vampire coven houses had fallen not to mention a few werewolf packs too.”

  “It all can’t be a fluke,” Carmen said. “There in America and here in Mexico? And now this of La Bruja gathering to her compound that of the dark witches to awaken a possible power from within the stone? I can see why she would wish to remove threats here in Mexico. But why does this occur in America as well?”

  I had a thought, but did not wish to voice it for I could be wrong.

  But if this was happening all over, here in Mexico as well as in San Francisco and as Nicole had said in Europe? Then whatever this stone was key to awakening was a far greater threat than previously thought.

  And the targeting of the oldest supernatural beings? The older a supernatural being was the more powerful they became. And if you wished to prevent any possible threats to prevent you from say, using whatever the Witch Stone was created for, you removed those threats.

  I felt like we were going up against more than some powerful dark witch.

  But again, I could be wrong as this was just random guessing, the reporter in me at work again.

  “Maybe those are answers that will be answered once we wage the attack on her compound,” I said. “Do we have a plan of action? Routes? Supplies?”

  “Yes, come,” Carmen said motioning to the structure in front of us. “Let us go over all this before the ceremony for the jaguar warriors begins. It will take all my time in working the spell. But you and the others are free to roam about or rest up in one of the buildings.”

  V

  We had sixty soldiers and were going to be met by forty more on the outskirts of Mazatlán. From there we were to secure boats and head to Aadya’s island compound near the city. It would be then that the witches that were being imbued with the old magic of the Aztecs would come into use. One group would cast a cloaking spell and the other group would work against the storied protection barrier that she used upon the island.

  It was believed that with all of Aadya’s focus being on bringing down the power from the moon her magical defenses would be weakened.

  At least, that is the hope.

  I ran my hands through my hair and paced on the ledge of one of the smaller pyramid structures. This mission could go either way. We could all succeed, save Heather and Scott and get the stone or we would be all wiped out and it would be for not.

  I needed to get out of here for a while. I needed time to think, to clear my head so I could absorb all this in one setting without distractions or without Daman hovering around me.

  Speaking of him I looked across toward where a ball court had been made. He was playing soccer with some of the younger soldiers.

  Gods. They were still kids and playing games like they weren’t about to possibly die tomorrow.

  “Are you okay, Henry?”

  I turned around to see Sophia walking toward me.

  “I, I think I just need to go clear my head some. Is there another way out or do I go back the way that I came in?”

  “There is much shorter way out behind this building,” she said nodding over her shoulder. “Are you okay though, Henry?”

  “I’m fine,” I lied. “I just, it’s a lot to take in.”

  “It is,” she agreed. “But it is something that must be done to stop any further attacks and devastation on all the supernatural beings of Mexico.”

  “Even if some may not get along?” I said looking toward where Eve and the other witches resided on the structure directly across from me.

  They were keeping to themselves, but each held a bowl of food in their hands and were watching the soccer game intently.

  “It does not matter,” Sophia replied. “We help all that come to us and we protect all rather they like us or not.”

  “What type of ah, what is your…” I fumbled for the right words.

  “I am a witch, Henry. Carmen? She is a shapeshifter, a leopard. Hers is a very, very old line. She has a brother who is also a leopard and he will be the one meeting us near Mazatlán. He has been leading the resistance group that opposes La Bruja for a few years now.”

  “It has been going on for that long?”

  “Yes, it has. When La Bruja first came into power? No one thought of her as much of a threat. She mostly did drug smuggling between her base on the island to America and South America. Then she began to take on and train mercenaries creating an army. Then the stories of her being a witch began to surface which we all thought was simple nonsense. Then we found out otherwise.”

  “Why has no one taken her out before now?”

  “She has too many connections to corrupt governmental officials throughout Mexico. They allow her to do what she wants, to who she wants and she in turn funnels money into their campaigns for stolen elections in return for further protection. It is impossible to bring any charges against her for she even has judges in her hand.”

  “It seems like one very large web of corruption all around.”

  “It is.” She agreed. “But we have been working quietly in the last year by placing friends into roles within the government as an attempt to lessen her hold.” She placed her hands behind her back and looked toward the soccer arena. “Do you still wish to go above?”

  “I do,” I said following her gaze. Daman had removed his leather jacket, shirt and boots and was playing with the others in just his jeans. Seeing that sight brought back too many memories to the surface and I desperately needed to be elsewhere.

  She nodded and waved over a boy who looked sixteen.

  “Guide Henry to the hidden passage that will take him to the surface,” she ordered as the boy nodded. “Don’t forget Henry, we will be leaving at first light tomorrow. It will be an eleven hour drive there, perhaps longer but we should arrive on the outskirts just as dusk is falling.”

  “Will somebody find me if I get a room in a hotel?”

  “We will find you easily. No problem. No worries.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I followed after the boy. I gave one last look over my shoulder toward Daman. He was laughing and enjoying himself, lost in the game.

  I turned and left.

  VI

  Using the passageway that I had been shown I eventually arrived via a ladder into a storage room of an abandoned building and exited through the only unlocked door that opened onto an alley. There was a few kids playing some card game nearby who looked at me, gave me a nod of their head and went back to whatever card game they had going on.

  Night had fallen over the city since I had been in the cavern. Around me were now open bars and restaurants, the scent of fresh food cooking and the sounds of Spanish music filled the air as I stuck my hands into the pockets of my jeans and walked down the sidewalk.

  I had not set destination in mind at all, and since I had no idea where I was at in the city? That seemed to suit my mood just fine. I doubted that I could even focus on eating.

  Tomorrow night, possibly at this same time, we would be leading an assault on the island compound of Aadya. Those teens that Daman had been playing with could possibly die, yet they were willing to do so if it meant they could end the suffering and destruction that Aadya had been causing.

  Such a vast contrast in priorities compared to most kids now who if it wasn’t on social media? They barely showed any interest in the world and events going on around them unless some celebrity they were following were bringing it to their attention. Then it became a cause worth marching a few feet for before they became distracted by something else.

  I paused on the sidewalk and rubbed my chin, my eyes zooming in on a bar from which Spanish music spilled out between the open gated entryway.

  My tolerance for liquor had increased since becoming a vampire to the point that I could have six drinks, depending on what I was drinking, before I felt it.

  With everything that was going on around me, with what was laying ahead of me tomo
rrow? I think I wanted something stronger than a rum and coke tonight.

  “Just a few drinks then I will find a cheap hotel and crash,” I said to myself as I walked across the street and into the bar.

  About twelve tequila shots later I was perched on a stool at the counter watching couples dancing in the area set aside for such. I was humming along to the song that I didn’t know, waving my hand about as I slapped the shot glass down on the counter and motioned for the bartender for another one.

  “This is the shit,” I slurred and laughed. He eyed me but shrugged and refilled my glass again before walking away. “This is really, really good shit.” I mumbled as I tilted the glass back to my lips and swallowed it down, burning its way down my throat.

  “Should you really be drinking, Henry?”

  I arched both brows then shifted my eyes to the side to see Daman standing beside me watching the dancers. He leaned back and propped his elbows on the counter in a model-ish pose with one leg crossed over the other at the feet. He was wearing his leather jacket, shirt and boots I noticed. Somehow I wouldn’t have been surprised if he wasn’t.

  “You shouldn’t be sneaking up on people like that,” I said. “Oh wait! That’s what vampires do!” I laughed as he looked at me frowning, casting a glance around to see if anyone had heard. No one had, or didn’t care. “Another one for me bartender! And one for my…for my…,” I looked at him. “Ex? Sire? Ex-sire?” I laughed and turned away from him.

  “I think you had more than enough, Henry,” he said placing a hand on my arm. “Come on. Let’s find a hotel room to crash for the night. You need to sleep this off and – ”

  “Let me go!” I said jerking my arm from his grasp. “You don’t tell me what I can and can’t do! I’m not as think as you drunk I am!” I said hiccupping. “The night is still early! I haven’t been out in a very long time! And lord above knows I need some way to unwind before shit goes down!” I motioned to the bartender and he refilled my glass again as I slung it back then slapped the glass on the counter. “I want to dance!” I announced like it was the most brilliant idea ever, and in my drunken state? It was. “I want to dance and forget things for a while!” I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth and smoothed out my shirt before making my way toward the dance floor.