The Witch's Chalice

by Melania Tolan

  He finally released my arms and walked away. He gestured to one of the guards on the right-side door. Two seconds later, from the depths of the compound, I heard a guttural cry of torture. I knew it wasn't Traian, because he didn't seem like the kind of person that would cry out in pain. Octavian was only trying to get me to cave in. But then I heard something when the other voice was silenced. A weak cry that only supernatural hearing could pick up.

  Traian.

  Instantly, my hands started buzzing, but I put them behind me and took a deep breath, calling upon the rhodochrosite crystal on my finger. I continued to take deep breaths until my palms had calmed down. I know I needed to do something, but now was not the time.

  Octavian turned to me, his eyes glowing red. He had sensed the feeble energy coursing through my body. “It's time for dinner, and then you need to go to bed and rest. We will carry on tomorrow. And we will continue to carry on until you finally stop lying to me.”

  “I'm not lying.”

  “And that in itself is a lie,” he called over his shoulder as he walked away from me.

  At dinner, no one spoke. I drank my blood and sat in silence, as Octavian feasted on his fancy cuisine. The smells were absolute torture. I wanted to eat like a normal person again.

  Back in my room, Dara helped me out of my clothes. I hated all this fussing as if I was incapable of undressing myself.

  I pretended to be sleepy, but I had no intention of going to bed. At dinner, I had taken an extra glass of blood because I knew I was going to need the extra strength. We were being watched. There were cameras hidden throughout my room.

  While Dara was running a bath, I decided to talk to her, but I faced the part of the bathroom where there was no camera aimed at my face or the silver tattoo that had returned. I told her to pretend she couldn't hear me.

  “Dara. My friend, my partner, the person I love, is in the dungeon below. I need to find and be with him. I can feel his pain. Is there a way to get down there besides the main elevator? Cough once for ‘yes’, twice for ‘no’.”

  She coughed twice.

  “I have to find and save him and then we need to escape. You can come with us. I will take care of you. Right now, my powers aren’t working properly, but I do have powers and I will be able to protect you. I promise no one will take any more of your blood.”

  Silence filled the room as I let her consider what I was saying.

  “I’m sure there is another way down. Can you please take me to him?”

  She coughed once.

  “Thank you.”

  That morning, once the coffin lid was closed, I remembered that I had hidden Satra’s potions and the folder with the picture showing the connection between my mom, Eva, and Satra. I dug out the vials I’d hidden in the lining of the casket. I found the channeling potion and let three drops fall on my tongue. I then stuffed all of the vials into the leather pouch with the stones from Padrick and hung it around my neck.

  When my hands started buzzing again, I climbed out of the coffin and went to the nearest wall to send energy through the electrical network of the cave to the cameras inside my room and down the halls of the wing I was staying in. All the cameras throughout the facility shorted out with a pop. The lights went out, too. Only candlelight remained, making the branches of the silver tree tattoo on my chest glow.

  I hadn’t expected it to work, but I had bought myself a few moments. Then the place would be crawling with soldiers.

  I quickly tossed the folder into the fire, because Octavian didn’t need to get his hands on that. Then Dara opened a little passageway behind a tree that grew near the waterfall that I had not known was there. This took us to some stairs that led down into the bowels of the compound.

  We were able to enter the dungeon this way.

  I tried to remember how to get to Traian, but then realized I didn't have to remember—I could just sense for him and follow the silver cord that bound us. I closed my eyes and focused on the pull at my heart.

  Three turns to the right and one to the left.

  I opened my eyes. “This way.” I took Dara’s hand and led her down the corridors.

  There were locked doors, but one zap from my hand not wearing the ring, and click. They unlocked with ease.

  We went through a set of gates and got to Traian's chamber in no time. Three guardsmen were standing by the door. I stopped the first with a zing of electricity to his chest. He collapsed. The second, I took down by just touching his head. The energy from my hand short-circuited his brain waves. The third took more brute force.

  He slammed me against the wall, holding my hand away from his body, and put me in a chokehold. I’d been in a similar position before, and my life had flashed before me. But this time I didn’t need air.

  I brought my other hand down on his wrist, splintering the bone. He dropped me, but I didn’t fall to my knees. With my right hand, I sent enough electricity into his testicles to take out five city blocks. All the lights went out in the corridor.

  Dara cowered against the wall. I knew that all three of the strigoi men would return to consciousness soon. There was no time to lose. I grabbed Dara’s hand and opened the door to Traian's chamber.

  The stench of blood hit my nose first. One tiny light bulb flickered overhead. By its intermittent glow, I could make out, on the table in the middle of the room, the love of my life, bare-chested and wearing nothing except silver blades in every limb of his body and across his abdomen. Blood flowed out from him in steady streams.

  “Dara, we have to help him.”

  She quickly jumped in and began helping me remove the blades. Traian appeared to be unconscious. When the last silver blade came out, his body twitched a few times. I rubbed my wrist against my teeth and pressed the open wound to his mouth. The moment my blood touched his lips, his mouth suctioned at my wrist.

  He drank my blood in big gulps.

  “Yes, keep drinking,” I whispered.

  Suddenly, Traian realized what was happening and released my wrist.

  “You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn’t have come here. He’s going to torture you, too, now. Probably kill you.” His eyes were wild and unfocused.

  “We gotta get out of here. This is our only chance. The security system is down, and I can get you out.”

  Dara tapped my shoulder and motioned for me to follow her.

  I pulled Traian into a sitting position. Blood dripped across his body. This isn’t going to be good. A trail of blood would make it easy to find us, never mind the smell of open flesh.

  Dara opened a passageway in the wall and pointed.

  Traian groaned. “I forgot about this passage. But we won’t last long.”

  I ignored his statement and turned to the girl. “Thank you. Come with us, Dara.”

  She shook her head and pointed to the ground as if to say this was her place.

  “But he will kill you.”

  She nodded sadly.

  “You want to die?” I gawked at her.

  She nodded again.

  “Oh, Dara, I don’t want you to die. You can have a good life out there, without fear.”

  She shook her head.

  Traian groaned. “She can choose what she wants. Death is the best gift you could give to a slave of Octavian's.”

  I kissed the girl and hugged her. “I’m sorry.”

  Dara had tears in her eyes as she stepped away.

  I pulled Traian to standing, and we slipped into the passageway. Dara waved goodbye and closed the door behind us.

  Chapter 22

  Traian continued to bleed, and I didn't know how to staunch the flow, so we stopped, and I licked his wounds as a last resort. As soon as the saliva from my tongue touched his skin, the gaping holes began to close, though too slowly for our current predicament. With each step forward, his strength seemed to return. He could carry more of his own weight, and our speed increased.

  We turned down tunnels in different directions, going deeper and de
eper into the ground. But then we were going up. Will we come out in the middle of the desert, or near the mountains?

  Eventually we made it to the surface. When I opened the grate above us and jumped out, I realized we were in the middle of ancient Roman ruins.

  “This is the ancient city in Algeria. Nobody comes here, because Octavian will not allow it.” Traian had followed me out. His bare skin glowed, as his black wings dragged behind him.

  I wanted to touch him and show him how much I had missed him, but now wasn’t the time. We needed to get as far away from here as possible. I didn't know if being on the surface was a good idea, as we could be spotted from the air. But at least in the ruins, we could find some cover.

  That's when I heard the sirens.

  “We will be hunted now.” Traian grabbed my hand and started running.

  “Fly. Can you fly?” I asked him.

  “Still too weak. I wouldn't be able to get us very far.”

  I took the lead and pulled him along, running through the desert and the old stone structures that had been there for thousands of years. I heard the guards coming closer. I saw lights above us, and quickly dove underneath an arch, pulling Traian with me.

  His eyes glowed red and he kissed me.

  “We will not make it out alive together, but I can stall them, and you can escape without me slowing you down.”

  Just then, a beat-up old truck pulled up next to us. The door opened, and Padrick jumped out.

  “Nice of you to show up.” I wanted to slap the elf.

  “There isn't much time. We need to go now.” He motioned for me to get into the car.

  Traian kissed me one more time. “Go with him. He will keep you safe and I will hold off Octavian’s men.”

  “No, I'm not leaving without you.” I pulled on his shoulders.

  “If you stay here or try to save me, you will die. But if you leave me, you can get out. They will recapture me, but will keep me alive in an effort to get to you.” He kissed me once more and pushed me toward the elf. “Go. Go with Padrick. Protect yourself. Learn everything and destroy this man that claims to be your father.”

  I pressed my lips against Traian's, taking his taste into my mouth one more time. “I love you.”

  “I know. I love you too. Forever.” He kissed my cheek and then ran in the opposite direction.

  Padrick grabbed my arm and pulled. “We have to go now, or else we’ll all die.”

  I jumped into the truck with him and we drove off. I expected the sirens and the searchlights of the helicopters to come after us, but instead they all centered on something in the middle of the ancient city. That's when I heard the gunfire.

  I tried to turn back, but Padrick's arm blocked my view. “Don't watch. It will only make it worse.”

  “We can’t let him die. They’re going to kill him.” Crimson tears flowed from my eyes.

  “He's not going to die. He's going to be tortured and he’ll experience great pain, but he will not die. Trust me, I've tried to kill him myself. The bloodsucker won't fucking die.”

  I didn't care if Traian couldn't be killed. Seeing the love of my life in pain or being shot at just made everything inside me revolt.

  I felt a knife plunge into my gut and twist. I looked down, but there was no blade sticking out of my abdomen. I checked my hands for bleeding, but I was fine. Except I wasn’t. A second knife went into my shoulder. This time, I cried out, as my hand went to the place I’d been stabbed only to find smooth skin.

  “What’s happening?” I gasped, as another blade sliced through my other shoulder.

  “Have you exchanged blood with him recently?” Padrick took my hand, keeping the other on the wheel.

  “Yes.” I winced as someone kicked my knees. “Oh god. They’re hurting him.”

  “I’m so sorry, darling. Hold my hand. I’ll take some of the pain for you.”

  I felt the anguish fade a little. When I turned to Patrick, he had beads of sweat trickling down his brow, but that was the only sign indicating he was experiencing the pain. I still felt the blows, but they weren’t as intense.

  We were driving in broad daylight now. I realized that I had already been in the sun for some time, as the rays hit my bare arms.

  “Why am I not burning? I thought I couldn’t be in daylight?”

  Padrick glanced at me for a moment and whistled. “Wow. How much of his blood did you take?”

  “I don’t know. He was bleeding really badly, so I licked his wounds, hoping it would help close them.”

  “Well, his blood is allowing you to walk in daylight. I don’t know how long that will last, but don’t count on it to work tomorrow.”

  Eventually the blows and stabbings stopped. Traian must have fallen unconscious and they were letting him be for now.

  Padrick let go of my hand and pulled out a coat from between the seats. “Put that on just in case. And rest, you’re going to need your strength.”

  My body felt heavy, so I leaned back. My eyelids closed, and I fell into a dreamless sleep. When I awoke, it was night again. Padrick drove until we reached a coastal town. We parked on a deserted beach.

  “You can swim, right?” he asked as he got out of the car.

  “No.” I had never learned because I was too busy recovering from heart surgeries as a child.

  “Well, just paddle your hands like this.” He waved his arms around like windmill blades. “You should be able to make it.”

  We got into the water, and I copied what he did. Thus, I haphazardly swam out into the ocean. I kept sinking below the surface, but I knew I couldn't drown, because I didn't need air. It still felt scary the deeper we went.

  Out of nowhere, a half-submerged submarine appeared and blended with the water. No one would be able to see it from above. We climbed to the side where a hatch was located. Padrick opened it, and water came pouring inside. He closed the round door and then pressed a button that drained all the water out before he opened a second hatch.

  A ladder led us into the main part of the sub.

  “What is this?” I looked at the odd lights and screens that lined the walls.

  “A gift from a government I helped a couple of decades ago. You establish goodwill with these humans, and they pay you in the most interesting ways. We're the only ones in the submarine, by the way.”

  I knew that, because I’d checked for any other presences the moment we climbed through the first hatch.

  Inside the galley, Padrick opened the fridge to reveal several bags of blood. “In case you need to eat,” he said.

  “Thank you,” I said, even though I didn't need to eat. I had Traian's blood.

  I could still feel him, despite being miles apart. If I closed my eyes, I could almost see his bleeding, unconscious body. I could feel his agony. Every now and then, I doubled over.

  “Someone's punching him again,” I muttered.

  Padrick came to my side and wrapped his arms around me, holding me upright. I rested my head on his shoulder.

  “Oh, my darling, I’m so sorry. He will be in a lot of pain for a long time. I don’t know how long this will last. As time goes by, that will diminish. But we must get you further away from here. That may help.”

  The pain gradually subsided. After a time, I was able to stand on my own, and I pulled away from him.

  “Where were you?” I demanded. “We were captured. That asshole came into our home and took me and Traian as his prisoners. And you were nowhere.”

  “One does not just confront Octavian. Last time that happened, I almost lost my head.”

  “I don’t care about the past. You have an obligation to do what's right, whether it means your life or not. How did you even find us?”

  Before he could speak, I held my hand up.

  “Let me guess, Eva told you this was going to happen.”

  “Actually, she did. But you were both supposed to get out. She's been wrong before, like you finding her grave too soon. That was supposed to happen two year
s from now.”

  This was news to me. I needed to know more about what she had planned.

  I wish I had my “grandmother's” journal with me.

  And then I realized my casket was still in Octavian's room.

  “Padrick, my casket, the—”

  He shook his head. “I grabbed some dirt, and you can put it on the earth or the bed or wherever you’re sleeping. It should suffice. You don't need the casket.”

  “I thought I did.”

  “To protect you from sunlight and help you transition, yes, but we’re underwater, where we’re going to be very much protected from the sun. However, I have a theory.” Padrick pulled me into the deck of the sub.

  “What theory is that?”

  “Not all the magical laws apply to you.”

  I came to a stop. He turned to face me.

  “Did you know about my grandmother being my mom?”

  His eyes darkened for a moment. “Yes. I was there the entire pregnancy.”

  “You were there when I was born?” My jaw dropped.

  Padrick nodded and opened a compartment from which he pulled out a pair of leggings, a tunic, and some sneakers.

  “Here.” He handed me the clothes.

  I glanced down and realized I was still wearing my silky, white nightgown that Dara had set out for me to wear but it had been ripped and stained with blood.

  “Thanks.” I took the clothes and changed in the small room on the side of the main hall of the sub. I had so many questions but Padrick wasn’t ready to answer any of them just yet.

  We traveled through the ocean, deeper and deeper into the Mediterranean, and then we passed through a channel in Istanbul and came out the other side into the Black Sea.

  The sub surfaced in unoccupied waters. I sensed the boat approaching us before it showed up on the radar. So did Padrick. His eyes flared green, and a smile spread on his face. That confirmed what I had felt, too.

  I went to the hatch and climbed out.

  Ari stood in human form on the edge of the bobbing boat like a commanding sea captain.