The reality of what had just happened hit me like a lead brick before I turned my head and scanned the room. Everyone was now looking at me with open wonder—especially Von. His chin was practically scraping the ground, as if he were seeing straight through my clothing. For a brief moment, I wanted to make sure I was still wearing clothing.
"I had no idea that you could do that." His voice was almost swallowed by his breathy words.
I looked from Solomon to Jack and then to Gabriel. Turning back around towards the damaged wing, I walked back to the window to find the man staring back directly into my eyes, and possibly even through me. His hair snaked around him like it had a life of its own until he bowed his head sharply, turned and walked into the oval portal that he had drawn in the air moments before. Stepping into the portal with a slight hunch to his slender shoulders, he ducked his head by a fraction and then disappeared completely. An almost overwhelming sense of relief washed over me.
Suddenly there were men and questions everywhere.
"What the hell just happened, Celeste?" Von's voice demanded.
"Would you like something to drink? Wanna sit down?" Jack was trying to be helpful.
"Who do you think that stranger was?" Gabriel searched for knowledge.
I looked up at Solomon who was standing directly behind me by the window. "You almost stopped my heart, you know. That's pretty difficult to do, considering I'm already dead." He shook his head at me as he took me into his arms. "But you are safe." He smiled down at me and I felt instantly calm. His eyes swirled with emotions and I could smell the salty sea.
Why does that happen when I look into his eyes? It kind of reminds me of my father...OMG, could he be my brother?! That would be so wrong!
Grasping my head, I walked over to my seat next to Jack as I locked the buckle in place and closed my eyes, leaning backwards in my seat. "Could I please have a ginger ale?"
"Feel sick?" Jack's voice was right next to my ear.
"Uh-huh." I nodded as the room began to spin.
"Jackson, would you please?" Von's voice sounded from behind me as I leaned back in my chair.
"Who do you think that was?" Von's voice rang out across the room, directed to no one in particular.
"Don't know." Solomon answered. "But we need to do some research. I'm going to talk to Leo before we land." His voice began to drift away from me.
"Ginger ale, just what the doctor ordered." Jack smiled down at me as I opened my eyes at the sound of his voice.
"Thanks," I sighed as I shakily took the glass of ice and soda. "I needed this." I smiled at him as he replaced his bass on his lap. He began to play some blues riffs as I sipped the soda and closed my eyes.
"Try to get some rest." Jack leaned into me and I laid my head on his shoulder, absolutely reveling in the fact that I had one of my best friends with me at the time.
"Yeah," I agreed as I blindly handed him my glass of soda, bringing the music to a halt unintentionally.
15
I was barely able to get any sleep, feeling the turbulence of the Learjet and remembering how it felt out on the wing. The shadow demon and the strange albino dominated my thoughts as I tried to convince my mind into taking a siesta. It looked like my mind wasn't buying into my reasoning.
Cora had come back to check on me twice, but each time she had spoken to Von or Solomon and then returned to the cockpit. My intentions were to talk to her about everything that had happened earlier, but the timing just didn't seem right. When would really be the right time?
Go to your happy place, Celeste. Think of your happy place.
Somewhere inside my mind, I thought that the best thing I could do was relax. Relaxation had eluded me so often that I'd had to compose a routine for myself. Step one: breathe in and out, step two: remind myself about my happy place, step three: go on an imaginary vacation to my happy place which, of course, was the beach.
Sighing, I closed my eyes and relaxed in my seat. Cleansing breath. Step one done. Again, I reminded myself, Go to your happy place. And then, my favorite part... imagine the beach. The rolling sand, the waves crashing, the wind whipping, the ocean roaring. The imagery was so fresh and realistic that I was patting myself on the back for an accurate imagination. Yeah, baby! I'm there!
I opened my eyes and realized that I really was there. But where was there?
"Huh." I spun around on the spot. Scanning away from the ocean, I didn't recognize Gull Cottage or even my beach townhouse rental in Rockaway Beach. A row of beach houses were lined up along small, quaint streets and hydrangea bushes speckled the yards. Walking towards the water, I scanned around the beachfront and noticed huge rocks poking out of the ocean waves—towering over any normal sized stones.
"The haystacks." I sighed as I turned towards the small town and ran my fingers through my hair. "How the hell did I end up at Cannon Beach, Oregon?" That was a good hour away from Rockaway Beach.
"You're right on time." A voice sounded directly behind me. "It's nice to find that quality in a queen."
Turning around quickly, I saw what I was dreading—the albino standing in a white suit and looking intimidating wearing his all-black sunglasses.
"On time for what?" My voice sounded annoyed. What do I have to do to get away from this guy? I eyed the scenic beach around us as people strolled further down the beach line.
"Lunch." The pale lips on his tapered face accentuated his sharp chin, making his words seem to fall directly from his tongue to the sand below. Eyeing him suspiciously, I turned my head to look at him through the corner of my eye as he waved his hand in an oval again and a portal appeared.
"Aren't you afraid that the mortals will notice your little trick?" I glared at him.
"No. Mortals only see what they want to see. They never expect to have magic wielded right in front of them; especially not when they are on vacation, avoiding the real world in every way possible." The glasses pointed towards the families milling around on the sandy landscape.
"Shall we?" He gestured towards the portal as I eyed him suspiciously.
"And why would I go with you?" My voice was threatening. I'm really tired of this guy already.
The albino chuckled as he continued to motion towards the portal. "Because you're curious." He nodded at me. "I believe that you are more interested in finding out about what information will be shared with you, as well who your host might be."
Eyeing the portal with suspicion, I turned back to the albino to lay my fisted hands on my hips. "Who is this host, exactly?" Curiosity really was making me stupid.
The albino held his hand out in a sign of impatience, twitching slightly and giving the impression that he was battling to remain poised and formal. "You will find out soon enough."
"I really prefer not to travel through ominous portals with random strangers." I was grounding myself while thinking about my magic shields. Yup, they were in place—I could feel the energy flicker off of my skin.
"That may be true," the albino dropped his hand to his side and tilted his head, eyeing my fisted hands digging fiercely into my hips, "but my employer can be quite...persuasive."
There was a lot of meaning in his words, and I eyed him from head to toe. His hair was waving around his shoulders like every strand was alive and part of one larger organism. With a closer look, I noticed that his hair was actually undulating in waves. Filing that for future reference.
"And if I don't come with you now?"
He shrugged, "Then you will not know who is inviting you to lunch, now will you?" He tilted his head. "Hungry?"
Yes, actually, I'm starving. But I'd rather stumble into town and eat there, even though I don't have any money or desire to wash dishes. I scanned the beach again, searching for familiar faces or sounds. The ocean roared in the background, but it was no different from what it sounded like before I received the creepy offer for lunch.
What am I missing, Dad? Nothing changed. No warnings, no squawking birds, and no sudden waves threatening to a
ttack the albino. It wasn't like we were close enough for the ocean to assist me in any way—I was alone.
"Your host is awaiting your arrival." The albino brought my attention back to him as he stood with his hands grasped together in front of him, his head turned slightly to the portal to draw my attention back to its gray, rippling surface.
I tilted my head towards him and held a finger up like I was asking for a second. "What guarantee do I have that I will be safe? What is there to ensure me that I will not be in danger if I attend...lunch?" I eyed him again, paying special attention to his impeccable suit. His taste was odd, to say the least, but it was a high quality suit and it absolutely gleamed in the sporadic sunlight of the cloudy afternoon.
"You have my word, and that of my employer. No harm will come to you. My employer is quite serious about stating the truth." He smiled softly, with what appeared to be complete sincerity...or so it seemed.
"Okay..." I felt a chill skip up my back as the wind picked up and thrashed my hair around. A bit late for comments now, Dad. "Let's get this crazy show on the road."
I walked towards the portal, taking a deep breath and then stepping into the oval opening, which glowed brightly as I passed through. The sensation of cool to warmth was distinct as I stepped into the portal, but it was to be expected, because magic always had some residual heat.
When I finally stepped through, I noticed an immediate change of scenery. No longer was I standing on a beautiful sparkling beach—I was standing inside a large windowed room with lavish furnishings and the smells of food wafting on the air. My eyes scanned the room and my view was filled with enormous vases full of English roses, huge blooms with petal after delicate petal.
"The table is over this way." The albino came around from behind me and motioned to a large table covered in a lace tablecloth and set with china as if for a formal meal.
The silverware was old and high quality. The buffet along the side of the room was covered in heaps of steaming food and fresh fruits. My stomach growled as I eyed the spread. Shush. No one needs to hear you!
"Please serve yourself and have a seat." A voice drifted from the far end of the room. My head jerked over to the sound because it wasn't anything like I'd expected. For one thing, it was a female voice that I heard.
"Umm, I think I would rather not. Thank you very much for the invitation, but I am not comfortable eating in strange homes; especially when I have not been formally introduced." My stomach growled viciously at me in defiance. I said shut UP!
The thick, feline voice laughed brightly as I watched a petite, well-dressed and intimidating business woman appear near the table. Well, she simply appeared to be a business woman because she wore a thick gray wool suit as if it were the armor she had donned for battle. She stood no higher than five feet tall but she still carried an air of intimidation about her. And, even though her face spoke of beauty, her short graying hair was quaffed up in a southern style and hinted that she was definitely older than she appeared at first sight.
"Yes, I can imagine your trepidation, but I assure you that you are perfectly safe here."
Yeah, I'll be the judge of that. I eyed her through narrowed eyelids as she picked up a plate and served herself a dainty helping of grilled fish and a few pieces of fruit.
"I assure you that the food is perfectly safe." She smiled at me as she popped a grape into her mouth. I noticed that, as she chewed, the lines around her mouth accentuated her age, whatever age that may be, as nothing else probably could.
"Please," she motioned towards the table, "have a seat so that we can discuss things civilly." She walked quickly to the table and took the seat at the far end. Grabbing a linen napkin sitting next to the charger, she snapped it loudly before setting it gracefully over her lap.
"Come." She waved towards a chair to her right.
The albino took a position standing to the left of the old woman's chair as she leaned over the plate and scooped a piece of pineapple into her mouth. I couldn't help but eye the albino as he stood motionless. It seemed just a tad too coincidental that the woman finally noticed my discomfort.
"Oh, don't let Henry bother you—he's an excellent employee—loyal, quiet, and capable." She flicked her head over in his direction. "You have to respect anyone that works for you without asking those pesky little questions."
"Pesky little questions?" I walked cautiously towards the chair that the woman had offered, pulling it out and sitting down on the padded seat in painful slow-motion.
"Yes!" She turned to eye him attentively. "You know, the ones that just get in the way, like...What is this about? Why would I do that? And then there is my least favorite... What's in it for me?" She nodded at me like I understood everything that she was saying. "I am a generous employer when I want to be. Aren't I, Henry?"
"Yes ma'am." The albino answered with a generous bow.
"You see?" She beamed at me, "Loyal."
"I can see that."
"And so," the old woman waved her hand in the air like she was painting a picture, "on to our business."
My seat creaked underneath me as I shifted for a more comfortable position. "And that would be?" I was concerned and my voice gave that away.
"First and foremost, introductions are in order." She smiled at me with a set of yellowish teeth. "I am Sophia Castillion Granda. It is a true pleasure to meet you finally, Queen Ravenwood." She sighed in my general direction before turning to eye me with jade green spheres. It took me a minute to register that they were actually the true color of her eyes. But her eyes...even though strikingly beautiful, they were also mega creepy. The kind of creepy that makes you wonder if there is a crazed lunatic hiding in a closet upstairs. Note to self: when the screaming starts, avoid running UP any stairs.
"Castillion." My heart began to race. "So you are related to Leonzio?" I eyed her again, seeing a slight resemblance in the bridge of her nose, but not much else to the stunningly gorgeous demon king that had taken prominent residence in my life.
"Yes," her lips turned downward as she began to pick at her fish like she was dissecting it with her fork. "My younger brother, yes. Please don't judge me by his behavior—he has always been much more...troublesome than most." She shrugged as she daintily laid the piece of fish speared at the tip of her fork onto her tongue.
"I have found Leo to be quite enjoyable company." I shrugged, wondering where the conversation was going to eventually go.
Sophia immediately stopped chewing as she stared me down, the edges of her eyes glowing with a new vibrant red. "He's a stain." Her voice was not generous, and I immediately worried about Leo's familial relations.
"Would you mind moving on to the key points? I am on a timetable." I felt like I wanted to look at my watch if I were wearing one, but my tone was meant to prompt her on. There was no use in staying there any longer than I had to...or was made to.
"Yes, I know about your timetable." Sophia's voice oozed venom. "That is the reason that I have...invited you here. We need to discuss this troublesome ritual of yours."
My heart dropped into my shoes as I shifted in my fancy chair again. Glancing quickly at the albino, I eyed the woman sitting in front of me. "If you don't mind me asking...what are you getting at?"
The older woman glanced around the room, leading my eyes along with hers. I immediately noticed how very brightly lit everything was—the room was practically drenched in sunlight and lamplight. Although it shouldn't happen in a brightly lit room, I suddenly had an intense feeling of foreboding. There were no shadows anywhere near me, so Leo and Cora were not going to be able to help. I fought desperately to suppress a deep gulp.
"What are your intentions?" My voice rang through the room a little too loudly as I fought to control my emotions, but I marched on like the trooper I was attempting to appear to be. "What do you want from me?"
"Ahh," the old lady leaned back in her chair, laying her thin wrist across the antique armrest, "that would be the million dollar question, would it not
?" She tented her long, tapered fingers in front of her face, slightly blocking the view of her wicked sneer. Hmmm, manicured but not long and creepy like Camela's. Just a clear polish and a clean manicure. Very classy.
Shrugging, my eyes scanned the room once more for a tiny glimmer of hope. "I doubt that your brother would like to know that you have taken me away against my will."
Sophia looked up at the albino with a severe and almost frightening expression on her sharp features. "I told you that she was to be invited. She is not to be here against her will. Had I not made myself perfectly clear about the subject?" She sounded upset and a tiny bit threatening as her eyes glazed over and her entire body became a statue of feminine anger.
Henry's ebony glasses reflected Sophia's face as he bowed, "I did invite her, madam. She came of her own free will." He made no move to straighten to his full height, remaining hunched slightly as if to imply submissiveness. The proximity that he held next to her even under her intense scrutiny was more than impressive, and he instantly earned himself some 'man of steel' points just by remaining calm while she practically set him on fire with her evil jade eyes.
"Ha!" I snorted as I glowered at Henry, although he was clearly not looking at me. "There was no other way to take the 'invitation.' I had no choice." My eyes flicked between Sophia and Henry, and then back to Sophia once more, driving home the fact that I was not the stupid woman that they figured I was.
"I suspect that I truly never really had a choice." That sinking feeling was back again, but this time there was a taint of frustration and anger of my own. "Can we just get to the point? I have a lot on my To Do List." I snorted loudly again.
"Your child." Sophia replied simply as she turned her eyes back to me.
"I have no child." Whew, that was actually the truth for the moment.
"Right...but you will." Sophia leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table top, lace pressing into her flesh. "I want your child."
"Okay, Rumplestiltskin, back the boat up!" I scanned the room once more for any shadows but the room glowed with warm light throughout. Dammit! "Are you some sort of evil troll?"
Ritual Magic Page 16