The Witch's Chalice

by Melania Tolan

  He grabbed a pouch of blood and placed it in the microwave, like had he had shown me previously. Today, he poured the red, steaming drink into a black mug, and I sipped on it as if it were tea. Just kidding. I downed that crap like a shot of whiskey. Not that I’ve ever had a shot of whiskey, but I’ve seen how it’s done on TV.

  With my hunger settled, I suddenly felt the need to sit by the fire in the common area, and the next thing I knew, that’s where I was standing.

  “Whoa. How did I get here so fast?” I glanced around. Traian was right behind me. “Did you do that?”

  “No. That’s another thing you will have to get used to. You have superior speed now. Though, for a new strigoi, you have greater speed than I’ve seen before.”

  I sat down on the couch nearest the fire. That's when my hands started buzzing.

  No. No. Aw crap.

  I reached inside tunic to grab my grandmother's cross but remembered that I had given it to Storm. As if she knew I was thinking of her, Storm jumped up on the back of the couch and curled up next to me. The buzzing subsided in my hands, and I felt like I could relax.

  “Did I sleep long enough?” I asked Traian.

  “No.”

  “Is that normal?”

  “No. You should still be sleeping, until sundown.”

  Great, even in death, I’m a freak. “Is there one thing that is normal about me?”

  Traian was about to say something, when Rodica popped in out of nowhere. She sat on the couch across from us and pursed her lips.

  “Well, how was your little nap, fledgling?”

  “Rodica.” Traian had warning in his voice.

  “What? She is a fledgling. She's not even twenty-four hours old. Oh, I'm sorry, forty-eight hours.” Rodica shrugged.

  From my shoulder, Storm let out a hiss.

  “It's okay, Storm,” I said.

  Rodica scowled at the little kitten, and that pissed me off. Instantly, the buzzing in my hands returned in full force. I gripped both sides of the cushion just to keep from leaping over the fire and ripping into her throat. Where are these vehement feelings coming from? I'd never been a violent person, nor did I have the strength to be aggressive.

  A burnt smell tickled my nose. I looked down. The couch on either side of my thigh was on fire.

  Chapter 6

  Storm jumped off and hid behind Traian while I sprang to my feet, staring at my hands in disbelief. On both palms, white-silver flames danced angrily. Several people had run into the room to see what was burning, but now everyone cowered from me, except for Traian.

  “Oh my God!” I glanced up at him. “Do something, please.”

  Before he could respond, Padrick entered the room and was at my side in a flash.

  “Darling, you need to take a deep breath and blow it out of your mouth very slowly.” He placed a warm hand on my shoulder. “Follow my lead. Breathe in. One. Two. Three. Four. Hold it for one. Two. Three. Four. Release for one. Two. Three. Four. And repeat.”

  I focused on the calming energy coming from Padrick’s hand touching me and listened to his voice. The silver flames died down to just a few sparks after four rounds of breaths.

  “There you go. Good job. Let's do it again.”

  I took another deep breath, but got pissed again, and the flames shot up three feet above me.

  “Okay, how about you think of this rock right here? Yes, the rock that you're standing on. Imagine roots growing from your feet and spreading deep into the rock with each breath. You are a tall tree, grounded to this mountain. The mountain protects you and keeps you safe.”

  Padrick put both of his hands on my shoulders and massaged my knotted muscles. I heard Traian growling on the other side of the burning couch.

  Two of the coven members arrived with fire extinguishers and put the blaze out in a matter of seconds. I just continued to focus on Padrick's voice, and his hands on my shoulders. The muscles in my back relaxed, and I slowly felt the inferno inside me die down. The flames snuffed from my hands, and my palms returned to their normal, pale appearance.

  “Good job, my darling. You did great. We need to keep practicing these grounding techniques.” Padrick squeezed my shoulders.

  The next moment, Traian was by my side. “Get your filthy hands off my mate.”

  And just like that, the buzzing came right back. I didn’t have to look at my hands to know that white arcs of electricity crackled across my palms.

  Rodica cackled. “After nearly twenty years of dullness, we finally get some real entertainment.”

  Traian glanced between her and Padrick, conflicted on who to attack first.

  I turned to my love and placed a cautious palm on his chest. As I moved, Padrick released my shoulders. Somewhere deep inside, I found enough self-control and trust in myself not to set Traian’s clothes on fire or blast him across the room.

  “Traian, it's not worth it. Can we retreat to our quarters? I think I need to cool off in the lake.” I took his hand. The buzzing in my skin had subsided to a low hum. I turned to Padrick. “Thank you. I thought I was going to explode. If you hadn't been here, I don't know what would've happened.”

  “And that is why I'm here.” He looked up at Traian before meeting my gaze. “Eva planned this. She knew you would have trouble controlling your powers, and that, if left unchecked, it would attract unwanted attention from our enemy. This is something your new coven does not understand.” Those last few words, he nearly spit out.

  “It doesn't matter if they don't understand. I do. Now I must go and dip in that cold water. My body craves it.”

  “Listen to your body, then,” Padrick said. “I will be outside the cave getting some air. This place is full of death, and I've had enough of the stench.” He gave Rodica and Traian a glare, and then disappeared down one of the many tunnels branching away from the main cavern.

  Traian and I walked to the lake room. Storm padded next to me and then found a rock perch next to the underground lake. With no one around except for Traian, I felt the burning need to take all my clothes off. I dropped the black skirt and petticoat I wore underneath, before unbuttoning the red top and unhooking the front of the uncomfortable corset that someone had laid out for me to wear that morning. I slipped out of the soft shoes next. Finally, all that was left on me was a pair of black, lacy underwear.

  Completely topless, I looked down at my scar. A strange light glowed underneath each spiral of mangled flesh and then disappeared.

  “Beautiful creature,” Traian whispered, his hand tracing the different paths the scalpels had made over the years.

  I took his hand and placed it on my hip, right where the lacy part touched my skin. “Did you pick these out for me?”

  The redness in his eyes flared, and I could feel the desire pulsing through his body.

  “Yes,” he responded in a raspy voice.

  I took his other hand and placed it on my other hip. “Well, then you will have to have the pleasure of removing them.”

  In an instant, his lips were on me. Goodness, this probably isn’t a good idea, after what happened in the common room.

  I couldn't believe the hypersensitivity inside my body and how every place he touched me lit up like fireworks. When I was a human, I could feel every cell coming alive at his caress, but now I could feel every single particle inside me humming and singing, as if beckoning him to come closer.

  Traian kissed me hard and deep for once, like I'd always wanted him to. His lips traveled to my neck, then down, down, down… My hands cradled his face for one moment.

  Without warning, a blast of energy spiked through my body, and I felt it release through my hands.

  The next second, Traian lay flat on his back, two palm prints singed on either side of his cheeks.

  “Oh my God. Oh my God. Did I just… I'm so sorry, Traian. I just wanted you to make love to me and…” I felt the sobs coming. “And. And I hurt you.”

  I jumped into the water. I didn’t know how to swim, but I d
ove to the deepest part of the lake anyway, and let myself sink to the bottom, which was only four yards. All I wanted to do was hide. Hide from Traian. Hide from everyone.

  God, why can’t I just kiss the man I love? Why can’t I just make love to him? Why can’t I just be a normal strigoi, without powers?

  The more I delved into self-pity, the stronger the ground shook under my body. The ringing inside my ears grew to an unbearable pitch. Huge boulders fell into the water, creating a little fortress around my body. A large, flat rock fell over the top, sealing me inside my watery grave.

  Did I just do that, too? Mercy, my powers were getting more out of control. First, the couch and fire. Then I burned Traian. Now I've crashed the cave ceiling over me. What other damage have I done?

  Through the ringing inside my head, I heard Traian crying out, “Everly, Everly, are you okay?”

  I sensed hands attempting to reach between the rocks to get at my body.

  “Go away,” I yelled, but the water muffled my voice. “Let me be. Before I kill you all.”

  There, at the bottom of the lake, inside a deep cave in the mountains of Romania, I stayed for a long time. The cool water calmed the raging fire under my skin, and the rocks around me grounded the restless, scared spirit inside me.

  I needed some quiet space away from everyone to think. I knew something needed to change. I just didn’t know what.

  Chapter 7

  I eventually came out of my water cave, when I knew nobody was going to be on the shore. My water-logged skin returned to normal right before my eyes as I stepped onto the banks of the lake.

  How strange.

  I shook off the weird feeling and turned my attention to the shore.

  On a rock next to the lake sat a plush robe and a large folded towel with a pair of slippers. The clothes I had discarded had been removed from the ground. As I dried off, I realized I wasn't alone. On one of the little cliffs near the door into our room sat Storm. Her eyes glowed in the darkness like two blue pinpricks. Even from this distance, I sensed her scowl. The only other light came from the crystal spheres mounted on either side of the opening into the lake cave.

  I finished drying off, put the robe on, and slid my feet into the soft slippers. I could feel every single fiber bend and conform to the shape of my foot. They felt like I was walking on mini clouds. I also enjoyed the softness of the chenille robe touching my skin.

  None of my hypersensitivity had died down while inside my self-made cave. It still amazed me that when I took a breath, I could smell all the different minerals in the rocks and the water around me.

  I made my way around to the door to our quarters and prepared myself for a good kitty scolding. Before I reached Storm, I heard soft music drifting through the thick rock walls of the cave, the vibrations deep and low as they floated over the air.

  I closed my eyes and listened. The haunting melody moved slowly. With each note, I could feel my body pulsating to match the vibration of the sound.

  Storm jumped off the rock and sat at my feet. She narrowed her eyes at me, as if to dare me to argue with her.

  “I know,” I whispered. “But I needed my space.”

  She didn’t comment.

  I sighed. “Suppose we should go in.”

  I placed my hand on the sensor. A green light scanned my palm, and then the door opened. Storm slipped inside before me, and the door closed behind us.

  The music came full blast now. Traian sat in the corner, playing the cello with his eyes closed. He never acknowledged us entering the room. Observing him play was like watching something between an art and magic show. The way his hands moved across the cello’s neck made me wish I was the instrument itself. His face softened and tightened as the melody rose and fell, and the palm-shaped burn marks had disappeared from his smooth cheeks.

  I had no idea that Traian had such a deep love for music, or that he could play the cello with so much power, yet refrain from crushing the wooden instrument into a pulp. When the music stopped, I couldn't help but feel sad.

  His eyes opened and widened as he became aware of our presence.

  “How long have you been standing there?”

  “I don't know. Maybe a minute or two.”

  Storm headed over to him and rubbed up against his leg and the bottom part of the cello.

  “How are you feeling?” He stood up and placed the instrument back in its stand.

  “Better.” I tightened the belt on my robe. “Thank you for giving me space. Are you okay?” The evidence of my powers may be gone, but some scars were invisible.

  “Do not worry about me.” He hung the bow next to the cello. “Whatever you need, you only say the word, and I will do it.”

  “Thanks.” I twisted the belt end around my fingers. “I just needed some time to process everything.”

  “I will get you something to drink,” he said and left.

  I walked across the room to the next door that led into my little chamber, trying not to worry too much about Traian’s abrupt exit. Is he mad at me? I hadn’t felt anything like that coming off him, but his sudden coolness bothered me. I pushed those feelings aside and focused on my new environment.

  The pile of dirt and the coffin made the space so uninviting. If I was going to live here for the next seven years, changes would need to be made. But first, I needed to get dressed. I opened the wardrobe and peered inside.

  From the bar hung several velvety dresses in various dark shades of red, purple, green and gray. Next to the dresses hung a leather coat and matching pants. Folded jeans of various shades, several sweaters and a couple of T-shirts occupied the shelf above the hanging clothes. Numerous pairs of shoes lined the bottom of the wardrobe, including a pair of combat boots. Next to them waited a pair of lethal-looking stiletto boots.

  I’d never worn heels. All my life, I’d been so afraid that I’d break my ankles if I attempted to balance my feet on such sharp points. I also spotted several soft velvety slippers fit for a princess or a queen in a palace, but not someone who lived in a cave. There was also a pair of running sneakers. I checked different sets of shoes for size. They all fit me perfectly, as if they’d been tailored to my exact foot shape.

  At the back, behind the shoes, I noticed a wooden box decorated with beautiful etchings. Probably another pair of fancy heels. I ran a hand over the dresses and could feel the quality cut—they had been made to fit me.

  “I've never owned so many nice pieces of clothing in my life,” I muttered to Storm, who’d come over to supervise the sampling of footwear.

  “Do you like them?” Traian stood next to me, holding a steaming cup of blood.

  Even though I would've preferred a nice hot cup of tea, this would have to suffice.

  “Yes.” I took the mug from him. “Thank you. When did you get these?”

  I motioned to the garments, then sipped on the blood instead of downing it like I had in the past. Why not pretend it was a lovely blend of chamomile and lavender instead of some A-negative taken from a middle-aged man?

  “I ordered the pieces while you were sleeping on the plane. They just came in this evening. You were having your personal time at the bottom of the lake, and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  “How long was I down there?”

  “About ten hours.” Traian shrugged. “You needed your time and space, and I wasn't going to stop you.”

  We sat in silence for about five minutes or so as I finished the blood. Then a brilliant idea hit me like a lightning bolt.

  “You said I can have whatever I want, right?”

  Traian nodded.

  “I would like to plant a garden around my coffin.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  I rounded the pile of dirt. “I want to get some grow lights and place them here and there.” I pointed to the corners around my casket. “They should provide enough light for the plants to grow. And they will come on only when I am not in the room, or when I am sleeping inside.”

  Traian
nodded. “What a strange request, but not surprising whatsoever. Whatever you want, you shall have.”

  Just then, Padrick walked in.

  Traian looked like he was about to go for the elf’s neck, but I stopped him and placed my empty mug in his hand.

  “Give us a moment, please.” I gave Traian a quick peck on the cheek.

  He took the cup and glared at Padrick before exiting the room. I turned to the elf.

  “You can't just walk in here like you own the place.”

  “Well, the door was open, so I figured I could come in.”

  “Are you trying to get yourself killed? These people could probably drain you of your elf blood before you could even scream for help.”

  Padrick laughed. “My darling, you are so naïve. I have been stuck on this side of the portal for over five thousand years and have lived with these blood-sucking fiends longer than the humans have been recording history.”

  Padrick’s words ran through my brain, categorizing every single part of his statement.

  Five thousand years. No, he was older than that. “How old are you?”

  “Why are you so obsessed with my age?”

  “I am not.” I gawked at him.

  “Yes. Remember the time in the car when I gave you a ride home? You seemed pretty concerned about my age then, almost as if you were hoping your mother would approve.” His lips curled into a smirk.

  I rolled my eyes. Some things never changed with Padrick.

  “That's in your head. But yes, I wondered. You seemed way too mature for your appearance.”

  “Like you would know what maturity is,” the elf replied with annoyance in his voice.

  “Why are you here again?” I pressed my lips together.

  “I think it’s time to visit the old gypsy crone who lives in the forest on the other side of these mountains. She can help you.”

  Traian appeared in the doorway. “Absolutely not. She's not going anywhere near those people.”