42
Human Sacrifice
Apollo has given that Roman the power to destroy us. To counter his god, we must offer him as a human sacrifice to entreat our gods to lift Apollo’s curse off Catrin.
Calm down, Catrin told herself. Think. Think. She then recalled what her father had told her: Know your enemies better than your friends. Learn to think like them. Counter them by anticipating their next moves.
An idea nested in her mind. The raven was at her beck and call. Through the raven, she could follow Belinus and find out what Agrona was up to. She could then learn how to counter the Druidess. Take one step at a time, she reminded herself, and find a way to save Marcellus and my father.
Sitting cross-legged on the hard earthen floor, Catrin melded her thoughts with the raven that was just outside the door. Through its eyes, she could see Belinus striding deeper into the woods. She instructed the raven to follow him.
A cool breeze under the raven’s wings lifted her up to the treetops, where she had a bird’s eye view of the forest. When she saw Belinus walking through a clearing, she directed her raven to soar over the green canopy of the woods and follow him.
Several moments later, she noticed smoke spiraling through the treetops directly ahead. She ordered the raven to descend, so she could confirm if the smoke was emanating from a campfire that Agrona had started. The leaves appeared like green eddies as the bird dived between the dense trees. When the bird landed behind a pile of wood, the twigs snapped beneath its feet. On the mossy ground nearby, a stiff mouse came into view.
The sudden motion of the raven’s beak thrusting into the vermin’s bloated abdomen made Catrin’s head spin. She overpowered the raven’s urge to eat the carrion, so it would follow her next instruction to move around the woodpile.
The stubborn raven finally obeyed her and waddled around the logs. A black cauldron over a campfire came into sight. Standing next to the black pot was Agrona, humming as she stirred a coppery slime bubbling over the top. Through the raven’s nostrils, Catrin inhaled the ghastly odor of burning skin from the brew. Her human stomach roiled from the disgusting stench. She directed the raven to move closer to Agrona.
The Druidess lifted her head and called, “Who is there?”
Thinking the Druidess was calling out to her, Catrin felt her heart pound in her chest, but then she realized Agrona was talking to someone else.
Belinus then appeared beside the Druidess with a white dove cupped in his hands. He held out the stiff bird and said, “I brought this for the ritual.”
Agrona sniffed and gave a crooked smile. “Good. Not quite dead. The last ingredient for my potion.”
She clasped the dove as she plucked out its tail feathers and dropped them into the cauldron. The concoction oozed over the rim and skittered down the black metal. Using a knife, she sliced the dove’s abdomen open, spread the tissue apart with her fingers and scooped out its entrails. After she tossed the guts into the mixture, she looked at Belinus. “I will now entreat the gods to give me a sign of what we should do with Marcellus to appease them.”
Catrin shuddered.
Pacifying the gods required a human sacrifice.
Agrona stirred the mixture in the cauldron with a long ladle, at times licking the green coating of the metal surface, then lifted her arms to the heavens and chanted, “Taranis, God of Thunder, I beseech you to show me a sign of what I must offer to appease your anger.”
Catrin’s connection to the raven disrupted when she heard crackling noises. Everything before the raven’s eyes disappeared into nothingness and she could not hear a thing. Not sure what happened, she called out to the raven to reconnect.
An instant later, brilliant light flashed in her mind and she heard Agrona asking Belinus in a croaky voice, “How did Catrin appear when you left her?”
“Not as defiant,” he answered.
“In what way?”
“She is now willing to accept your training.”
“That is a step forward,” Agrona said leaning closer, scrutinizing his face. “I can see that something troubles you.”
Belinus looked down and shifted his feet. “Something odd occurred when I was with Catrin earlier. I am not sure if it was real … or if she and the raven had cast a spell on me. At one moment, Catrin was as motionless as a rock. Then her head jerked and the color of her eyes turned to the color of amber.”
Agrona lifted her brow. “What was her raven doing?”
Belinus shook his head as if he could not believe what he was saying. “Its eyes switched colors, just like Catrin. At one moment, it was stiff as a tree and then at the next, its head bobbed.”
“Did Catrin say anything while this was occurring?”
“Yes, she stared blankly as she spoke, her voice flat. After a few heartbeats, her eyes again brightened and she seemed back to herself again.”
Agrona stroked her chin. “Hmm … strange. Did you leave her raven inside the cottage when you left?”
Belinus mumbled, “Well … I’m not sure.”
“Not sure?”
“I was distracted and—”
A gusty wind roared through the forest, muffling the conversation. Soon after, lightning webbing across the sky was followed by ear-shattering rumbles. Catrin only heard bits of the conversation between cracks of thunder.
“We have angered Taranis,” Agrona yelled. “To remove curse … looming … must offer human sacrifice.”
Belinus’s mouth flung open. “Sacrifice Catrin!”
“No, you idiot! Marcellus!”
Catrin’s heart raced as she struggled to hear the voices through pounding rain falling in sheets.
Belinus shouted, “We must wait … the queen could start a war … bloodbath vengeance!”
Agrona pointed to herself. “You forget … I take orders from the gods. Sacrifice Marcellus … appease the gods … cut his throat … offer blood …”
Catrin’s heart felt as if it was ramming against her ribs. She kept telling herself, Stay with the raven, stay with the raven.
After several more moments, the raging storm finally quieted, and Catrin could then clearly hear Belinus say, “Romans do not have that kind of sorcery—”
Agrona interrupted. “They pray to Apollo, a god who rules the sun. Look at his power to drive the sun across the sky.”
Belinus tilted his head back to look up. “Still, the thought of burning Marcellus alive makes me cringe.”
Agrona dug her fingernails into Belinus’s arm like a wolf pulling down its prey. “You idiot! Apollo has given that Roman the power to destroy us. To counter his god, we must offer him as a human sacrifice to entreat our gods to lift Apollo’s curse off Catrin. You must return to the village and double the guards watching Marcellus. Tomorrow, we offer him to the war goddesses. In return, they will embolden our warriors for battle. Meanwhile, I will return to my lair and see what Catrin is up to.”
As Belinus and Agrona rushed off in different directions, Catrin was faced with a dilemma. She had never been in the raven’s mind so long. She feared being stricken with the falling sickness again if she pulled out too quickly. So this would not happen again, she focused on transferring step-by-step all of the raven senses back to her human form.
First, wiggle my fingers.
Next move my arms.
When she moved her hands and arms, it felt as if a thousand needles were pricking her skin. Ignoring the sensation, she focused on regaining her vision.
Look through my human eyes.
For a few moments, the walls bounced in conjunction with the raven’s hopping on the ground. The sensory assault of being in both minds was too dizzying. She made one final leap.
Get out of the raven now!
As Catrin somersaulted out of the raven’s mind, her stomach felt as if it had jumped to her throat. Head spinning, she col
lapsed on the floor and her chin slammed hard on the earthen floor in Agrona’s lair.
Dazed, she lay on her back and gazed at the wooden beams swirling above as she floated into black sleep.
43
Magic of Ancient Druids
“I can see your love for him burns hot inside you. He diminishes your powers while I can accentuate them. If you willingly sacrifice him …”
Waking up, Catrin wiped cold sweat off her forehead, wondering how long she had been lying there. The sobering realization that the Druidess would soon arrive cleared the fogginess in her head. She crawled to the table and grasped its edge for support as she staggered to sit on a three-legged stool. Placing her head on the tabletop, she struggled to gather her wits. A light flickered in her mind—a signal from her raven to meld with it, but she did not have time to connect. The door clicked open and Agrona walked through the doorway, the raven waddling discretely behind her.
“Morning, my love,” Agrona said, her eyes flitting around the room. “Clumsy of Belinus to leave you unchained.”
“Did he tell you I’m ready to train with you?” asked Catrin.
“Yes, he mentioned it,” Agrona said, again glancing all around. “Where is your feathered companion?”
The raven immediately announced its presence with a blood-chilling shriek that made Agrona jump. When the Druidess looked down, the bird cocked its head and peered at her with beady amber eyes. She asked, “How did you magically appear?”
The raven answered with several jabs at Agrona’s feet, whereupon she jumped back and shrieked, “For the love of gods! Catrin, get that thing under control!”
Catrin smirked and extended her arm on which the raven then perched. As the bird settled, Catrin watched the Druidess sit down across from her. She noticed Agrona’s black-painted, curled fingernails, bright crimson lips that appeared to be smeared with blood, and eyelids shaded the same icy blue as the veins on her hands.
The Druidess first glanced at the raven, then looked at Catrin. “I can see your pet raven and you are good friends. Have you yet connected with it to gain the powers of the Ancient Druids?”
Smiling thinly, Catrin stroked the raven’s ebony breast. “As you can see, the raven and I are now forged as one. As such, it has disclosed dark secrets about you.”
Agrona arched her eyebrows. “What did it reveal?”
Catrin leaned over, gambling her instincts were right. “You do not have the mystical powers you claim to have. It is a delusion.”
“Is not all magic a delusion,” Agrona chuckled, “a trick of the hands?”
“No, my magic is real.”
“My clever girl, you are mistaken.” Agrona’s right eyelid began twitching. “Like you, I am a soul traveler who can enter other living beings.”
“Then enter my raven’s mind,” Catrin challenged, “and let me see you do this.”
Agrona pointed to a spider spinning an intricate lattice overhead. “Why would I do this when you and the raven can instead enter my domain?”
Recalling her father’s words that Agrona knew how to trick her enemies, Catrin realized she had to take on this same trait to outmaneuver the Druidess. Remaining stone-faced, she said, “My raven has opened my eyes to the webs you entangle your enemies with. I want you to teach me how you do this.”
Agrona regarded Catrin for a moment. “Are you playing mind games with me? You are nothing more than a newborn playing with wildfire. Only through me can you learn how to control the magic of the Ancient Druids.”
Catrin laughed. “I can already do that.”
“Is that so? Then tell me how you draw these powers.”
“From the portal dividing the mortal world and Otherworld.”
Agrona curled one side of her mouth into a half-smile. “I have already travelled there with you in the raven’s mind.”
“I know.” Catrin smiled. “Do you want to do it again?”
“Yes, if we work together, we can combine our magic. I can teach you how to meld with the raven as painlessly as blinking an eye. You will have none of the ill effects which you have previously suffered. Are you willing to join me on this journey?”
Catrin regarded Agrona’s smug smile. “I will join you, but you must tell me more about the gateway into the Otherworld.”
Agrona cocked an eyebrow. “Why should I tell you?”
“Because only my raven can travel to this portal,” Catrin said, suspecting Agrona could not travel to the portal by herself. She rubbed the raven’s beak with a forefinger. “Only through me can you access the magic through the Otherworld’s portal.”
“And what magic is that?”
“Do you not know?” Catrin mocked, “Are you not the master of such things?”
Agrona pulled out a dagger from her belt and circled the blade over the candle flame. “Do not play me for the fool. I know how such things are done. I know how the wheel turns, but I need you to spin the magic for me.”
The raven’s talons pressed into Catrin’s skin, and it cawed three times. Intuitively, she understood the bird’s meaning that Agrona did not have the ability to enter her mind. Still, Catrin was uncertain how much power the Druidess still retained and thus mined her for more information. “The raven tells me you have only performed one feat of magic. You defied death once, but your soul became entrapped in Agrona’s head. Once her body dies, your soul also perishes. You need me to take you to the Wall of Lives, so you can again rejuvenate your powers and resurrect your soul into another living being.”
Agrona’s eyelid twitched again. “My child, you underestimate my abilities. You must do my bidding, or you will suffer great pain when you call on these supernatural forces. To tame your raven’s powers, you must forge your mind with mine and sacrifice what stands in your way.”
Catrin hesitated. “What is that sacrifice?”
Agrona said coldly, “Marcellus.”
A breath clutched in Catrin’s throat. “How can he possibly stand in the way?”
Agrona thrust the tip of the dagger through the candle flame. “I can see your love for him burns hot inside you. He diminishes your powers while I can accentuate them. If you willingly sacrifice him, I will show you how to permanently merge with both the raven and me to summon god-like abilities of prophecy, shape-shifting, and calling on nature’s forces from the Wall of Lives you have described. Together, we can overcome Marrock.”
The only reason Catrin could surmise that Agrona wanted to overcome Marrock was to keep all the power for herself. Catrin must be a key for the Druidess to regain her mystical abilities. It now made sense that the Druidess thought killing Marcellus would break down Catrin’s final barrier for merging with her. Agrona could only harvest the powers of the Ancient Druids through the raven spirit. She stared at Agrona. I will not let you do that.
The Druidess did not flinch, confirming she had not heard Catrin’s thoughts.
Catrin finally said, “I abhor human sacrifice, and my parents forbid it.”
“Your parents are probably dead!” Agrona snarled, baring her teeth. “I now stand as ruler of the Cantiaci. You must pay homage to me.”
Catrin’s stomach clenched like a fist. “Why do you believe my parents are dead?”
“The Romans most likely killed your father. Your mother left over a week ago. Nobody knows where she is, so I also assume she is dead. You and I must now join forces to protect the kingdom against Marrock.”
A distrustful shiver crawled down Catrin’s spine.
You mean destroy my family, so you can take over the kingdom!
The urgency of escaping became foremost in Catrin’s mind. Eyeing the dagger in Agrona’s hand, she said, “You are right. Like you, I only want to protect our kingdom from enemies ready to devour us. Tell me what I need to do to make this happen.”
When Agrona’s irises switched from gr
een to shimmering gold in the candlelight, Catrin sensed a gray aura shrouding her like a corpse. She averted her eyes from the deadly stare that was drawing her in, then suddenly felt Agrona’s grip around her wrist.
“Go back with me to the village,” Agrona demanded. “Proclaim your fealty to me and join me in offering Marcellus to the war goddesses. After that, you must allow my soul to enter you, so we can combine our magic. Together, we can avenge your parents’ deaths by destroying Cunobelin, Marrock, and the Romans.”
Agrona’s sinister scheme was now clear to Catrin. The Druidess intended to carry out the curse by inciting the Romans to seek vengeance for sacrificing Marcellus. The fire-breathing eagles in her visions that would destroy her village were the Romans. She had to find a way to stop Agrona. She pounded her fist on the table, shaking the raven off her arm. “I will do it! And further … I will hold the knife that slashes Marcellus’s throat. Now take me home, so we can prepare for the sacrificial ritual.”
When the raven fluttered to an overhead raft, Agrona tightened her grip around Catrin’s wrist. “We must first seal our bond with blood.”
Not sure what commingling their blood would do, Catrin quickly fused her thoughts with the raven as the Druidess cut the palm of her hand with the blade.
The raven dived at Agrona with outstretched claws, slicing her face. In defense, the Druidess crossed her arms to shield herself from its further assault, all the while keeping a tight hold of the weapon.
Catrin hurled herself across the table and rammed her head into Agrona’s chest. The next instant, she found herself on the ground, alongside Agrona, the table toppled on them. The dagger was loose, but just out of Catrin’s reach. She lunged for the weapon, but Agrona’s knee hammered into her chest and forced her back, flat on the floor. Then lethal hands gripped Catrin’s throat, cutting off air.
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