by C. M. Sipes
“Morning,” Vittoria greeted, drawing the girl’s attention.
“Hey,” Emma replied tiredly.
“How are you doing tonight?” Vittoria asked as she poured herself some coffee and moved to take a seat next to her.
“Better than earlier,” she said softly. “But I just…I don’t feel right. This whole thing bothers me. I mean—I didn’t even believe in this shit until that night with Marcella!”
Vittoria nodded in understanding and looked at her friend. “It will get easier.”
Emma looked at Vittoria like she had three heads. “What will get easier? Being around the supernatural? Having dreams about me murdering people? Children? I mean—it’s fucked up!”
“I know,” Vittoria attempted to soothe. “I need you to calm down though, because there is something very important I need to discuss with you.”
Emma looked at Vittoria and groaned before placing her head in her hands. Vittoria looked at her with confusion at the distressed display, wondering what she had said exactly to upset her in such a way. She could smell the anxiety rolling off Emma, as well as her anguish and frustration.
“What did I say to upset you?” Vittoria asked calmly.
“You said that you need to discuss something important with me. I already know what it’s about, and I would prefer not to talk about it right now.”
“You know?” Vittoria asked, now thoroughly confused, her eyebrows rising in surprise.
“Yeah. You and Lilith are a couple. It isn’t that hard to figure out since she is literally living with you. I just didn’t think you would want to talk about it right now considering the fact that I am literally having a crisis,” Emma spat out angrily as she glared at the vampire.
Vittoria’s brow furrowed. “You thought I wanted to talk to you about Lilith and me?”
“You didn’t?” Emma asked sarcastically.
“Of course I do. You’re my friend,” Vittoria replied, the confusion evident in her voice.
“Yeah,” Emma replied, full of disappointment.
“Emma,” Vittoria began hesitantly, “I don’t understand what is going on right now. Truthfully. I know what I need to talk to you about, but you believe it is something entirely different. I can smell your frustration and anxiety, and I wish you would just tell me what is bothering you. Besides the dream, of course.” She looked at her friend, waiting for Emma to make eye contact with her.
Emma took a deep breath before looking at Vittoria. “I am upset that you and Lilith are a thing.”
“Why does that upset you? Do you not like Lilith?” Vittoria asked, her head tilting to the side in curiosity.
“Well I mean, she is a murderous, rampaging, extremely powerful vampire,” Emma laughed sarcastically. “But I mean, she just showed up a few weeks ago and you’re falling all over her.”
“Emma, Lilith and I…” she trailed off, contemplating how to continue. “Lilith and I have a connection that is…literally, supernatural. We always have. She has been a part of my existence since the moment I was made, truthfully. Since I was turned our paths were intertwined. We just happened to find something, hopefully something, more than just sharing a destiny for our species,” Vittoria explained.
Emma sighed and looked at Vittoria sadly, tiredness and disappointment evident on her face. “I’m not upset that you’re happy, Vi. I’m upset that it’s with her and not with…” she trailed off, biting her lip to keep from saying anything else.
Vittoria searched her face curiously before realization sunk in. She could have slapped herself for being so oblivious. Of course, Emma meant her.
“Ah,” Vittoria said before offering her friend a soft smile. “I guess I knew that, I was just really dense for not realizing it at this moment.”
“Yeah,” Emma said.
“I had a bit of a crush on you too when we first met,” Vittoria replied with a smile.
“Seriously?” Emma asked, slightly flabbergasted. “The little mortal?”
Vittoria laughed. “You are aware that when I met Isabel, I thought she was a mortal right?”
“Right.” Emma returned the smile before continuing, “So did you not like me enough or…” she trailed off.
“I did, and honestly I would have probably acted on it if Marcella hadn’t shown up that night and revealed our existence to you. Once that happened, it sort of made things very complicated. Especially with the mess of this influx.”
“Why did that change anything though?”
“Because at the time you didn’t know anything. You could have been obliviously happy with me, and I would have told you whenever I thought you were ready,” Vittoria explained before taking a swig of her coffee.
Emma nodded in understanding. “I guess that makes sense. Things with Lilith are a little easier at least, since you’re both vampires.”
“I wouldn’t say easier.” Vittoria’s smile faded. “Lilith is difficult. The fact we are both vampires makes it easier, but also more difficult because she’s the First.”
Emma noticed the distressed feature that appeared on Vittoria’s face. “What’s going on with you two?”
“She is currently in Brazil looking for a witch that is needed to help her execute her plan for me.” Vittoria sighed. “Everything is just sort of spiraling. I have this feeling…like it is the calm before the storm.”
“I have that feeling too,” Emma replied softly. She took a moment before looking back at Vittoria and saying softly, “You can talk to me about Lilith. I’m sorry for how I reacted. I guess I’m just jealous. But I’ll get over it, and I don’t want our friendship to be ruined because of this.”
“Our friendship is fine.” Vittoria offered her a smile. “And thank you for your support.”
“So, what did you need to talk to me about?” Emma asked as she took a swig of her own coffee.
Vittoria sighed before looking at Emma seriously. “About this dream you had, about a past life…”
Emma nodded for her to continue. “Okay.”
“I don’t know exactly what you saw…but I know what you were in your past life,” Vittoria said.
“What?” Emma asked as she sat her coffee mug down, giving Vittoria her full attention.
“Witch.”
Emma’s eyes widened in surprise before disbelief set in. “That’s impossible, how could you know that?”
“Your blood, Emma. You have witch blood—powerful witch blood. I can smell it. I smelled it the moment we met. I just took a little longer to realize that.”
“You’ve known this?” Emma asked accusingly, her voice rising with anger.
“I didn’t know for certain about your witch blood until later. When we met, I knew there was something about your blood that smelled familiar. Witches have a distinct smell, but sometimes it is hard to determine if your blood just smells sweet, or if there is power in it, especially if your powers were not active yet. It is much easier to tell with a witch who is actively practicing and using their gifts. I didn’t realize until later…until Lilith arrived actually…”
Realization settled on Emma’s face. “That night she arrived at the coven house, she said about my blood.”
Vittoria nodded. “Marcella made a similar comment about your blood on the night she exposed me. I began suspecting it then, but it wasn’t until Lilith made the same comment that I realized for certain.”
Emma sat back on the couch, disbelief on her face. “I can’t believe this.”
“Your blood is very powerful, Emma. You’re a very powerful witch,” Vittoria explained with a light laugh. “When Eva returns with Lilith, we would like it if you would consider beginning training with her.”
“And I’d have powers…” Emma muttered before looking at Vittoria. “You guys will need all the help you can get when the shit hits the fan, huh?”
Vittoria nodded. “Having a powerful witch ally would certainly help.”
Emma stared at her coffee mug thoughtfully for a few moments, taking the tim
e to reflect on her dream and the horror she witnessed. She came to the conclusion that if she was a witch in her past life, and an evil one at that, then in this life she could repent for whatever she did and help her friends.
“I’m in.”
Eva growled from behind Lilith, her green eyes intensely examining the thick trees. They had been searching for a little over an hour since arriving near the area of the map with the darkened bloodstain. Eva’s panther form stealthily trotted up next to Lilith, her massive head turning to look up at the ancient vampire.
Lilith’s deep blood-red eyes glanced down, meeting that of her companion before turning to look back through the trees. She had to admit that this was a perfect place to hide if one did not want to be found. The thickness of the trees made it difficult for even her to see through, not to mention the amount of various aromas floating through the air that made it hard to track a scent.
“You cannot smell anything either?” Lilith asked Eva.
Eva tilted her head up, her nose twitching as she smelled the air. She gave a whimper in response, telling Lilith she came up with nothing. Her ears flicked as an idea struck her. She ran from their position to a nearby large tree and leapt up, her claws digging into the bark as she pounced up onto a branch. Carefully, she made her way up the tree and took up her perch. She glanced around, focusing her eyes and peering through the thickness of the forest. She could see a little further than on the ground. Not much, but it was a start.
She looked at Lilith and growled. The ancient merely tilted her head to the side and looked at her curiously before hopping up on the opposite tree. Lilith peered through the thicket, the slight height difference providing her with more room to see further into the forest.
“Can you leap branch to branch?” Lilith asked Eva as she hopped to the next branch, advancing their positions.
Eva followed Lilith’s lead, carefully leaping limb to limb as they made their way through the jungle. They continued like that for a while until the sun began to set.
Lilith came to a sudden halt on a tree branch, her eyes narrowing as she looked ahead.
Eva landed next to her, her large paws quietly hitting the wood before she ducked her head, her green eyes scanning the same area as Lilith.
“Do you see the smoke?” Lilith asked quietly.
Eva puffed some air in response.
“I smell meat cooking. It is faint though, almost as if it is coming from far away. But, I smell a great many herbs that are masking the smell. I believe our witch has been covering his scent by overpowering it.” Lilith continued to stare straight ahead.
Eva quietly leapt to the ground, her body beginning to shift back to her human form a moment later, leaving her panting slightly as the First landed next to her.
Lilith stood, helping Eva up with her before cautiously walking toward the smoke. She silently moved aside tree leaves and branches, advancing on the witch’s home. Soon, they came to the edge of the forest.
The clearing was not very large, just spacious enough that one would have enough room to move around but still be protected from outsiders. A small hut resided near the back of the clearing; a thatch roof covered the structure while a fire pit rested just a short walk away. A man was hunched over the pit, cooking the skinned body of a capybara.
Lilith glanced at Eva and nodded before she pushed her way through the brush and entered the clearing. She approached cautiously, wondering how she should make her presence known.
“Eu estava a pensar quando você viria,” I was wondering when you would come, Taciatã said. He didn’t bother to turn around, already knowing who had come to see him.
“Você sabia que eu viria?” You knew I would come? Lilith asked surprised.
“Claro,” Of course, he replied easily, turning to face the women as he held up a bowl of blood, drained from the capybara he was currently cooking.
“You speak Portuguese?” Eva asked from her side.
“Well I certainly do not speak Tupinamba. I never had the opportunity to learn,” Lilith replied easily.
Lilith and Eva moved around the fire, each of them taking a seat before Lilith accepted the bowl of blood. She gulped it down quickly, attempting to ignore the obvious fact that it was not human.
“I have been expecting you for many years,” Taciatã said with a bright smile.
Lilith looked him over.
The man was young looking, no more than thirty years old, and had straight dark black hair that fell just above his chest. Red paint smeared his face and thick lines of tattoos covered his chest. He had tanned skin and a short flat nose, with brown eyes that seemed to hold centuries of knowledge in them. He wore nothing but a loincloth and the few bands of beaded necklaces that hung around his neck.
“How did you know I would come?” Lilith asked from her seat across from him.
“They told me,” he gestured around him. “However, I was not told why.”
Eva looked at him in surprise. “The ancestors didn’t tell you why we would come see you?”
“No, Namtilla.” He smiled softly. “I guess it was just meant to be this way.”
“We need your help,” Lilith said.
“I do not see how I could help you with your impending war,” Taciatã replied simply.
“We need someone skilled in blood magic.” Lilith looked at Eva.
“In my first life, I was directed to a scroll by an ancestor. It was about a way to defeat another First. In our case, a way to defeat the First werewolf…Enki. We are not sure what needs to be done exactly, in terms of the ritual, only that Lilith needed to find the one who would be able to handle an exchange of her blood at the highest magnitude, and that there is an incantation. We understand that there is the possibility for…repercussions…if it fails. We already know that Lilith’s blood is extremely potent to any vampire, including the Queens.”
“And you found this person?” Taciatã asked Lilith seriously, intrigued by the story.
“I did,” Lilith replied softly.
“We just aren’t sure what needs to be done exactly, or how to do it even. It involves great blood magic, that much we know,” Eva added.
Taciatã looked at them thoughtfully before producing a knife from his loincloth. He moved it to his forearm and sliced, allowing the blood to run to his hand before splattering it into the flames.
Lilith’s eyes darkened to a deep blood-red when she saw the thick liquid. She felt her fangs pierce her upper lip and began to force herself to calm down, attempting to patiently wait and see what the witch would do.
The flames turned a deep crimson and Taciatã’s eyes were slowly encased in the same color. He muttered some words in a language that neither Eva nor Lilith understood, and began swaying in his seat slightly. Slowly, the flames returned to their normal color, as did Taciatã’s eyes. He blinked them a few times, regaining his focus and looking at Lilith and Eva seriously.
“The ancestors tell me that what you seek to do is very dangerous, for both you and…” he trailed off, his eyes closing for a brief moment as his head tilted to the side as he listened. “Vittoria.”
“We knew that there would be certain risks with blood magic,” Lilith replied.
“This is blood magic of the highest form. You would essentially be creating a second vampire First.” Taciatã looked at them seriously. “You would need to drain Vittoria dry, to nearly the point of immortal death, and then have her drink from you and take all of your blood to just before the point of your own immortal death. You would need a powerful witch to chant the incantation, which would literally bind the two of you together.”
Lilith looked at him for a moment before swallowing and nodding.
“This is incredibly dangerous magic. The repercussions if you should take one small misstep could be severe. Even ingesting a small amount of your blood would make any go insane,” Taciatã explained.
Lilith’s brow furrowed. “I created an heir and sired numerous vampires. Each of them went insane fr
om drinking past the point of death,” she said confusedly.
Taciatã shook his head. “You went insane from drinking past the point of death. Your blood is what actually made your heir and creations go insane, it only did not take effect until they fed past the point of death.” Taciatã removed the capybara meat from the fire and sliced into it with his knife, checking the temperature of the meat. “Your blood was like a dormant virus, only awakening when the effect of feeding past the point of death set in. That is why your heir and others suffered from the bloodlust more than subsequent vampires. Anatu suffered the worst of it.”
“Anatu suffered just as the others suffered,” Lilith argued.
Taciatã bit into a piece of meat before offering some to Eva. “Anatu suffered terribly, she just managed to repress it well. She did not give in to her urges as freely as you did,” he explained.
Lilith looked down into the flames. “What will my blood do to Vittoria?”
“If the ritual goes correctly, then she will be equal to you in every regard and you will be able to defeat Enki. If it does not…I cannot be certain. She could be trapped in a pit of eternal damnation—trapped in her own immortal body, a mindless creature. Or she could perish on the spot, her immortal body unable to hold your powerful blood.”
“You said that it is dangerous for both of us. Is there any possibility that Vittoria would be fine and I could perish?” Lilith asked.
Taciatã studied her thoughtfully for a moment. “No. The risk is Vittoria’s. The only risk I see for you is that of a broken heart.”
Lilith looked at the ground before speaking, “As we said, we need a powerful witch to do the incantation.” She looked up at Taciatã pointedly.
His eyebrows rose. “I cannot do the incantation.”
“Why?” Eva asked as she swallowed the meat. “You’re highly skilled in blood magic, the best we can find.”
He shook his head. “There is only one witch in existence that I know of who would know the incantation, as it was lost in a great fire many centuries ago. You would have to find the witch who would know.”