by J. Thiele
A few seconds later, they heard a squeal of emotion when she discovered that Casey had escaped, then a deeper squeal that was filled with anger, when she’d obviously realised the General was absent as well.
The witches began to chant again. Saligia surfaced and the witches closed in on the boundary line, chanting as they did so.
“Who are you? What have you done with them? I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you all!” she ranted, lunging toward the voices in the dark, as she was stopped by an invisible wall. “What is this? Why are you doing this? Don’t you know who I am?” she continued to raise hell.
As the rest of the witches continued to hold the spell, Clarisse stepped forward into the moonlight. Saligia met her at eye level. A confused look swept across her face, “I know you,” she paused, “Calliope, what are you doing here? You know I’ll kill you as soon as you use all of your energy up on this prism and it comes crushing down. I’m going to watch you burn just like old times,” she laughed. “Do you remember the good old days, Calliope?” she asked her. “Do you remember how the humans trusted you to keep them safe? You didn’t do such a good job of that now, did you? That’s why your sisters were burnt at the stake. You promised them they would be safe, but you let them down too, didn’t you Calliope? So what is it now? Are you trying to redeem yourself?” she asked.
“I have come to watch you pay for your sins,” Clarisse answered her, “You have spent far too many lifetimes destroying all things good and pure. It is time you were made to reap what you sow.”
“You couldn’t destroy me then, what makes you think you can destroy me now?” Saligia asked the old witch.
Clarisse noticed the chanting over her shoulder had gone quiet, and she sensed the confusion from the other witches. “Keep chanting! Do not let the demon fool you,” she yelled back at them.
“Where have you got the General?” Saligia asked.
“The Slayer has arrived,” Clarisse informed her, “Your time draws nigh.”
Saligia roared with laughter. “The Slayer? Not that rubbish again. You tried that with the General, and we all know how that turned out. Now be a good witch. Give him back to me.”
The pair bantered back and forth until the sun began to rise. Saligia had no choice than to retreat to the safety of her cellar. The daylight presented the witches with a much needed rest before the moon would come out again. Sadly, before any of them could sleep, Sarah had some questions for her Aunty Clarisse.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kara came to the witch’s campsite with tea and garden salads for them to eat. Pearce and Casey were close behind. Clarisse had been waiting for everyone to arrive so she would only have to explain herself once.
“It was almost four millennia ago, my three sisters and I were put in charge of the village children. We were known as healers and prophets. We were Castalia, Calypso, Candika, and, I was Calliope. When we failed the villagers, because of Saligia tormenting and torturing them, they gave us one opportunity to redeem ourselves. That is when we called on Amducias and Genesis to assist us. Amducias and I were children together. I trusted him with my life and the lives of my sisters, but he was spellbound by the eyes of the demon vampire, and when he failed, we all failed. As punishment, we were sentenced to death. We were bound and burned at the stake. I watched my beloved sisters as they screamed and their flesh blistered and fell from their bones.”
“But if you were burned at the stake how did you escape?” Kara asked.
“With the unwitting aid of the blacksmith that crafted the Slay,” she answered, “When the elements were in the cauldron, he and I took turns at stirring the pot. For three days and three nights, we stirred continuously. On the final day, I dipped my finger in to see if it was ready. Neither of us knew what the ramifications would be, but when I felt the new energy enter my old and weary body, I urged Andreas to taste the mixture as well. The blood of Genesis gave us eternal life. Andreas was just a blacksmith, then suddenly he was immortal. When I didn’t burn with my sisters, the villagers feared me. I was cast out as a demon. I took Andreas with me. It would only have been a matter of time before they realised he too, was never going to meet his maker.”
“It took many centuries for him to master the craft, now he has as much knowledge as I do.”
Andreas sat beside the old woman.
“Why didn’t you just tell us?” Sarah asked, “I knew you weren’t my real Aunty. You should have just come clean. Did my mother know any of this?”
“I promised her on her death bed I would never tell you unless it was necessary. She knew the danger was still out there, and if it came for me, it would come for you and your cousin’s child. We have been hunted and outcast. Long before witchcraft became a trend, we were persecuted and killed.”
Clarisse finished her story then went into the woods. Sarah and Chelsea needed to rest before the moon was high and they would have to resume their chanting again.
Kara decided she’d heard enough about Saligia and it was time to end it now. She got up and marched across the boundary line.
“Kara stop! What are you doing?” Casey asked her.
“Look, it’s daylight and she hasn’t eaten. I’m ready to finish this.”
“No, it’s too soon. Wait for the others please?” Casey begged.
“I’ll be fine. You just stay back behind the line. You’ll be safe there.”
“What are you trying to pull kiddo?” Pearce asked, “You know it’s not the right time. Don’t be a fool.”
“I’m going in sir,” Kara turned her back and headed for the open door. She was only down there a minute or so before Pearce and Casey watched her catapult from the entry and across the line of salt, landing in a shrub.
Surprised at how quickly she was ejected and how strong Saligia was even without feeding, she got up and dusted herself off.
“I guess she’s still mad at us,” she said, as Clarisse came back from inside the woods.
“Fool! You are not ready. You must wait!” she reached up to Kara’s face. Kara assumed it was to brush a stray hair from her cheek, but instead she took a couple of strands and reefed them out, then without another word, went back into the woods.
“Are you okay babe?” Casey asked.
“Yeah I’m fine. She just took me by surprise that’s all.”
“Good, because the next time you try a stunt like that, I’ll pop a cap in your ass myself,” Casey told her before heading back to the camp area.
Kara looked around and noticed Andreas standing guard at the front of the forest, approximately where Clarisse had gone in.
“What’s she doing in there?” she asked.
“What she could not do before. With your help, she will not fail again. This time, she will honour her sisters’ names, and finally we will sleep,” he told her, before turning and disappearing into the dense forest as well.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kara heard the low mumble of several voices; she stood and looked around. From out of nowhere and in every direction, witches started coming into view, all chanting in sync.
She looked up at the sky. It was almost 4pm. The moon would be up in a couple of hours, and Dominic and the other vampires would be here soon too. But there was no sign of Clarisse, she was still somewhere in the woods.
Sarah and Chelsea joined in with the ‘Song of Spell’ and the witches all joined hands. Suddenly, vampires appeared from everywhere, and out of the woods came wolves, panthers and a multitude of other shifters. The sky was filled with eagles, owls and other birds of prey, and Kara knew by instinct they were from her line of shifter. All had their crosses to bear. They’d been hunted by man or forced into hiding, because of Saligia’s actions. They’d heard whispers of a new Slayer, and finally hope was restored that one day, they could be free to live in the real world without fear of persecution.
“Holy fucking bat shit,” was all Pearce could say, “If I died today, I think I could safely say I’ve seen it all.”
Dom
inic, Ray and Brandy arrived. It felt like the team was somewhat whole again, for the first time since Damon had left them.
“Saligia! I call on you to answer for your sins. In the name of Genesis, face your peers and be judged!” Dominic shouted out toward the cellar door.
A split second later, Saligia appeared in front of Dominic as he stood on the boundary line. “You are not my peers. You are nothing more than disciples. It is you that will be begging me for mercy. It is you, that will kneel before me and be judged,” she spoke venomously.
She casually strolled around the entire circumference of the salt circle, carefully looking over every witch, none of whom would give her eye contact. Instead they bowed their heads and maintained focus on keeping the invisible wall in place.
“It’s okay, I can wait. You will grow tired and the wall will come down and I will kill you all, each and every one of you. And you know I will,” she spotted Casey in the crowd.
“Detective, I knew you couldn’t stay away for too long. Would you like to come and join me? We shared some good times didn’t we? Did you tell Kara about it? Or should I?”
Casey took an angry step forward, but Kara stopped her, “It’s okay. She’s just trying to bait you. It doesn’t matter what happened in there. You’re here with me now and that’s all that counts.”
“Oh Kara darling, don’t be such a spoil sport, you can come too. There’s plenty of love to go around,” she said, before lashing her tongue at her in a sickeningly, provocative way.
“It is time!” Clarisse’s voice came from behind the crowd.
“Ah Calliope, I wondered where you were, witch. I think I’ll save you till last,” she smirked at the old woman.
“You must pay for your sins demon. You must feel the wrath of Genesis and Hades. We bring forth a Slayer to determine your fate.”
“Another Slayer?” she mocked her, “I hope he tastes as good as the last one. That reminds me - GIVE ME BACK THE GENERAL!” Her tone suddenly turned acidly serious.
“In time. First you must face your aspirant. Come forth Slayer. It is time to begin.”
Kara stepped forward and looked directly at Saligia who laughed an exaggerated laugh, “Oh, you can’t be serious.”
Kara stepped into the circle and Saligia’s laughing stopped.
“This is your Slayer? Kara? Let’s make a deal. After I finish her, I get to eat her, and you get to give me back the general and maybe I’ll let you live for another four thousand years.”
The pair sized each other up and began stalking each other like prey, when suddenly Saligia lunged at Kara lifting her high off the ground, throwing her into a nearby tree.
She hit the trunk hard and landed with a thud, pushing herself to her feet quickly. Casey breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Kara was unscathed.
“Kara darling, you are no match for me. Why don’t you go home and play doctor for a while?” she teased.
Kara ignored her taunts and ran toward her at a speed that was mesmerising. She then took flight with a karate kick that she never knew was in her, landing her boot in Saligia’s face, the skilled manoeuvre leaving her dazed at the unexpected ability of her opponent. Saligia recovered quickly and returned a blow of her own. The pair battled on for hours, each giving as good as they got, but neither willing to yield or give up.
Kara’s warrior skills came so naturally to her that her confidence grew with every blow she rendered. During the course of the battle, not a single sound was made by the onlookers. The sun was beginning to rise and the pair were showing signs of exhaustion. A truce was called by Clarisse, and Saligia withdrew to the safety of her dwelling while Kara staggered outside the perimeter and dropped to her knees.
“I have failed you,” she said to Clarisse, hanging her head in shame.
Clarisse lifted her face by the chin, “Did you think you would go in and defeat her in one battle child?”
A confused look flushed over Kara’s face.
“It is not over until one of you is no more,” Clarisse informed her.
“Well now that the sun is up, why doesn’t she just go down there now and finish her?” Casey asked.
Kara stood, “A true warrior does not fight when the opponent is defenceless.”
“You have learned well child. There is no victory in fighting her when she cannot fight back. It is no better than her crimes against the children. We will wait till night fall. Tonight will be a full moon, I can feel it. The gods will be on your side,” she turned and went back into the woods.
‘Dominic, where are you?’ Kara asked in her head, after looking around and noticing the shifters were slinking back into the woodlands, the birds of prey had disappeared from their perches and the vampires had silently vanished as well.
‘I’m nearby Kara. We have taken refuge in one of the other shelters. We will not leave you until this war is over,” he promised, ‘As the slayer and part shifter, you are blessed with the ability to stand in the sun. Even so you must still rest. Tonight will be a cause for celebration. I will see you when the moon is high.’
Kara took a bag of blood and tossed it into the cellar. “Eat Saligia. You’re going to need your strength for when I send you to the other side.”
Next, she lay down in front of Casey, who sat leaning against a fallen tree trunk and she rested her head in her lap, before falling asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kara woke to the sounds of the witches chanting again. The moon was brighter than she ever remembered seeing it before. The chanting was somehow different tonight. It brought with it lightning that cobwebbed its way across the crisp, clear sky, and seemed to land in the same place every time, the forest where Clarisse seemed to have been staying.
Saligia rose from beneath the surface and Kara stood to face her.
“You’re still here I see,” she remarked, “I must say I’m impressed. Honestly, do you really think you can beat me Kara… hmm?” she asked, in a condescending manner.
“Let’s find out,” Kara said, as she launched her attack on Saligia, and again the battle raged on for the second night in a row.
Saligia was becoming frustrated. She had assumed that the battle shouldn’t have lasted as long as it had. She’d never had an opponent last longer than a minute against her. ‘Could Kara be a true slayer?’ she found herself wondering. She summoned all her strength and threw Kara as hard as she could into a tree, promising herself victory. Kara fell hard. The impact should have killed her, or at the very least, broken her back.
She wasn’t moving. Casey screamed, “Kara, NO!” as she crossed the boundary to reach her beloved, but before she could get to her, Saligia snatched her in her arms and turned to face Clarisse.
“See what you’ve done? You meddling old fool. Your Slayers are useless against me.”
She pulled Casey’s head back, exposing her throat, “Now bring me the General or I’ll kill her.”
“Don’t do it Clarisse, don’t give him to her. She’s going to kill me anyway. Don’t give in to her,” Casey pleaded for the old woman to stand her ground.
“Bring Him To Me Now!” she shouted, as she reefed Casey’s head back even harder.
“I’m right here Astrid,” a voice from one side called out, “Let the human go. She serves you no purpose.”
Though it had been thousands of years since she’d heard that voice, she knew it immediately and dropped Casey to the ground.
“General? Is it truly you?” she asked, as she slowly turned in the direction of his voice.
There he stood, a man dressed in skins and armour from an era long gone by, tiny bones dangling from twine around his neck. His hair was matted, but his jawline was strong.
“I’ve come to take you home with me Astrid,” his voice rang out.
“This is a trick. You’re… you’re dead, I ate you myself,” she insisted.
She reached down for Casey again, who had almost crawled to the edge of the circle in the distraction.
“Where
are you going now Casey? When are you going to learn to stay put?” she asked, as she began to make her way towards her.
Chelsea absentmindedly raced in to help Casey to her feet and out of the circle. By doing so, she put herself in harm’s way. Saligia reefed her by the arm, pulling her back into her waiting fangs. In one swift movement, she ripped her throat out with her bare teeth.
“NO!” Sarah screamed, as she watched her only living relative being snatched from her and murdered before her eyes.
Casey rolled onto her back to see Saligia’s bloodied face pacing toward her.
“Astrid! Stop this madness!” Amducias shouted, lightning filling the sky once more as he spoke.
She turned to him, “Or what?” she asked, with a challenging smirk.
“Your time on the other side will be based on your last moments on Earth. Come with me now, and I will see that Hades is fair. Continue this battle and I cannot save you from the burning pits of hell.”
“You’re just like the rest of them. Talk, talk, talk, but all empty threats. How did you get here anyway?” Saligia posed the question, putting her hands on her waist.
“Tis of no importance, but you are charged with barbarism, cannibalism and treason against mankind. You are also charged with mutiny against you’re maker, and inciting war within the species.”
He spoke loudly so all shifters, vampires and wolves would all know that the war between them had been created by one individual.
“Come with me now and make your peace, or face the hell fire, tenfold.”
Saligia thought for a moment, cocking her head to one side, then drew her fangs.
“I think I’ll give it a miss,” she said, turning her attention back to Casey. She was about to reach for her, when a large shadow engulfed her. She turned to see what it was, just in time to see the shiny blade of Kara’s Slay come down on her, slicing her head from her shoulders. It flew through the air and landed at Amducias’ feet.