The awakening hc-1

by Stuart Meczes

  “Do you mean that if I’d met the Coven earlier then they may have foreseen the ambush?”

  “Maybe. Normally their visions involve what happens if we don’t intervene. But they may have sensed that there were more than just Blooding’s in the area.”

  “Unless like you say there’s a Rogue working in the base who knew I hadn’t met the Coven yet, so planned an ambush knowing that the Witches would see me as a black spot-“

  “-and be blinded towards a separate attack directed at you. Yes, I hadn’t thought of that! We have to let Faru know that too.” She shot me a sarcastic look. “When you decide to grow a pair and speak to him that is.”

  The elevator shuddered to a stop and the doors rolled open. We stepped out into a rocky tunnel similar to the pathway to the Temple. A pair of flaming torches hung either side on the rough walls. The light stretched our shadows into unnatural shapes that loomed over us. Gabriella lifted a torch from its holder and guided us forward. The narrow passage twisted around itself a few times. Our footsteps echoed around us. A musty scent like forgotten clothes drifted towards us from ahead.

  Sophia wasn’t lying about the odd smell. In the darkness, something bumped against my leg. I let out a yell and shrank backwards against the wall. “What’s wrong?” “There’s something here!” Gabriella aimed the torch behind me. Green eyes appeared in the light. A bundle of black fur hissed and sprinted away. “Cat,” I sighed, allowing my heart to recover. “Familiar.” Gabriella corrected.

  “Ah.” I thought for a second. “Hold on I got this one. They used to be cats, but now they belong to a Witch they can shift into loads of different animals right?” “That’s it.” “They act as a Witches eyes and ears. So the Coven know we’re coming now.” Gabriella made an impressed face. “You’re getting good at this.”

  Eventually the tunnel came to an end. Gabriella placed the torch in another holder and we passed under a hulking archway. The room beyond looked surprisingly cosy. The rocky walls had been smoothed into a tear shape, joining together at the top. A metal pentagram hung from the apex. The moon shone through a circular hole near the top — impossible considering we were underground and it was still daytime. Crooked shelves covered with dusty books and ornaments lined every wall. The light came from hundreds of flickering candles. Some sat on dedicated shelves, their wax creeping over the edges like fingers. Others were skewered on wall mounted and free standing candelabras. Worn chairs huddled in small groups and wonky wooden tables adorned with Crystal balls and Tarot cards, lay randomly around the room. Benches had been placed on either side of them. Lush curtains covered purpose made holes that looked like they led to different areas. One far corner appeared to be dedicated to modern technology. A small television sat on a corner table. Next to it a telephone lay nestled in its cradle. The wires disappeared through a tiny hole bored into the rock.

  Dozens of familiars filled the room. They curled on chairs and rugs, washing themselves or napping, paws twitching in their dreams. One sat on the central table, facing us. It made a low moaning sound and shuddered. Its body shrank and its back sprouted feathers. It became a large raven, which in a flurry of wings, flew up to a shelf high above us. I waited for my brain to react in some way to what I had just witnessed — a burst of adrenaline, a moment of shock — but it didn’t. It dawned on me that I’d finally accepted that these things could happen. That this world existed.

  I’m used to it.

  Suddenly a curtain was thrown back and half a dozen small children came sprinting through. “Ella!” they squealed as they fought to wrap their arms around her waist. She laughed and hugged them back. I noticed a small boy hanging in the background. He clung to a one eared toy rabbit. It’s not-so-white paws draped on the floor. “Thomas, do you want to say hello?” said Gabriella. The boy nodded. The others parted so that he could hug Gabriella. Afterwards he ran away, disappearing through the curtain. I watched him go. “A male Witch?” I asked. “Male Witches are Shaman. The Coven welcomes them, but they tend to prefer solitude. Thomas is a rare exception.” She turned to the group of girls, who were clutching onto her sleeves and wrapped around her legs. “Everyone, this is my good friend Alex. Do you want to say hello?”

  Instantly I was bombarded with hands, which tugged at my clothes and prodded my knees and legs. I raised my eyebrows at Gabriella, who laughed.

  “Go back to your rooms children,” said a stern voice.

  I looked up to see Sylvia standing in the centre of the room. She wore an almost identical black dress to the one I’d seen her wearing the night of the feast. Her hair had been pulled into the same tight bun. I got the impression she wasn’t much of a trend setter.

  The children giggled and ran out of the room.

  “Please excuse them. They haven’t quite learned the correct manners yet.”

  “It’s fine Sylvia. We don’t mind,” said Gabriella. “We have some great news about Sophia. She has…been healed. The spell won’t be necessary any longer.”

  The Witch gave a stiff nod. I imagined her pecking at grain on the ground. “I shall inform Selene. The rest of the Coven will convene shortly. In the meantime, may I interest you in some whiteroot tea?” The question appeared to be aimed at me. “Oh, um no thank you, I think we’re fine,” I said. “Very well,” said Sylvia. With another curt nod, she slipped from the room. Gabriella leaned in close. “Sylvia’s the schoolmaster. She’s a bit uptight. The rest are lovely,” she whispered.

  We waited in silence for a few minutes and then one by one, the Coven began to appear from behind various curtains. They came in all shapes and sizes. Several were tall and thin, others were round like comic strip cooks and just as smiley. Some had blonde hair, others black or ginger. Their ages ranged from teenagers to unidentifiably old. Apart from the fact that they were all pretty pale, they looked very normal. None even remotely resembled the hideous hags depicted in books and stories. Not a pointed hat in sight.

  They arranged themselves into a semi-circle either side of the central curtain. There were twenty six in total. They bowed their heads in a uniformed greeting. A wrinkled hand extended from behind the cloth and slowly brushed it to one side.

  A grey haired woman stepped through. She looked as old as time itself. Her shoulders hunched around her narrow neck. A large crooked nose dominated most of her road mapped face. She shuffled into the room, beady eyes watching each step, as gnarled fingers lifted the edges of her black dress.

  “Alexander,” she began in a voice like scrunched paper, “I Selene and the rest of the Coven would like to welcome you to Moon’s Edge — our home.”

  “Thank you, it’s a pleasure to meet everyone.”

  Selene’s face cracked into a warm smile. “Right now we’ve got all that informal rubbish out of the way, we can relax.” I raised my eyebrows at Gabriella who gave a little smile.

  Selene gestured towards the centre table. “Please, sit, sit.” I headed over and sat down. Instead of joining me, Gabriella walked around the side and hugged the old Witch.

  “It’s so good to see you again my dear,” sighed Selene. “It always feels like years between your visits. The children do miss you so.”

  “I know, I promise I’ll visit more. It’s been so hectic with Alex's Awakening.”

  Selene pulled back and placed both hands on the sides of Gabriella’s arms. “Sylvia told me that Sophia has made a miraculous recovery. I thank the moon and stars.” “It was a miracle. We still don’t understand quite how it happened. But we know it had something to do with Alex.” “Did it now?” The Witch turned to me. “Then that makes you my newest favourite person. Thank you.” “Err, my pleasure.”

  Turning back to Gabriella she asked, “I pray that this will make that poor girl see sense and come and live here at Moon’s Edge, away from all that horrible danger.”

  Gabriella gave a slow shrug. “You know she won’t leave Midnight.”

  The Witch made a tutting noise. “Well then you tell that brute to make sure h
e keeps her out of harm’s way or he’ll have me to deal with.”

  Gabriella laughed. “I’ll pass on the message.”

  She joined me at the table, squeezing my shoulder as she sat.

  “Well then, I suppose we had better get down to business,” said Selene, settling herself down at the opposite side of the table. She leaned across and lay her arms on the table, palms upwards. “When I nod, I need you to place your hands in mine. Don’t worry, it’ll only burn a bit,” she added. She gave an unsubtle wink to Gabriella.

  Around the room, the Witches all joined hands and bowed their heads. Selene closed her eyes and began to mutter something under her breath. Her body rocked backwards and forwards. Occasionally her body would jerk in an odd direction as if an invisible force were pulling her. I watched her and waited for her signal. After a while, she gave a slow nod of her head.

  I placed my hands in hers.

  As soon as I touched her, an image of a giant face formed from the earth and trees seared into my mind. A burst of energy surged from Selene, sending me and Gabriella flying across the room. I smashed against a shelf, scattering jars of herbs and candles across the room. Gabriella hit the floor hard and slid along, ending up in a heap next to me, half covered in a rug. I looked back up at Selene. Her body had gone as stiff as a rod. Her eyes were wide open staring blindly at nothing.

  One of the Witches called out Selene’s name. The group gathered, trying to calm her. At the same time, the candles began to flicker as if a strong breeze had entered the room. The Pentagram screeched as it swayed from side to side. Selene started thrash about. One arm swatted the Tarot pack, sending a cloud of cards whirling around the room. Spittle flicked from her thin lips onto her chin. Panicked I looked at Gabriella. “What’s happening? Is this a premonition?”

  “No! I–I don’t know! This isn’t normal!”

  The children, who had been peeking from behind the curtains, began to cry. The familiars were going crazy, hissing and swiping at the air, or morphing continuously like their shift switch was broken.

  “She’s having a fit. Lay her down for heaven's sake!” shouted Sylvia.

  Two younger Witches tried to place their arms around the thrashing woman. Selene flung them away from her as if they were rag dolls. One collided with the far wall and fell unconscious. The other flew onto a table, smashing the crystal ball. Selene’s jaw unhinged like a snakes. She wrenched back her head and a voice completely unlike hers boomed from her throat. The message was fractured, like a radio tuning in and out of frequency.

  THE TWELFTH YEAR OF THE THIRD MILLENIUM MARKS THE AWAKENING OF THE

  SECOND TWIN. BOTH MARKED BY SORROW…BETRAYED BY THE MOON AND STARS.

  FACING THE ABYSS, HE SHALL SEE WHAT IS HIDDEN…WHEN THE NIGHT SKY IS

  ABLAZE WITH WINGS OF FIRE…THE FURY UNLEASHED SHALL END THE AGELESS WAR

  AND BEGIN THE RISING. WHEN YOUNG BECOMES OLD…STAND AGAINST HADES. ALL

  SHALL PLAY THEIR PART.

  Selene’s mouth snapped shut and she slumped over the table. The candles stopped flickering and the pentagram came to a rest. A mixture of confusion and fear filled the room. Some Witches went to help the injured ones and a few more gingerly approached their fallen leader. This time they were able to lift her up and place her down on the table. Sylvia rushed from the room and re-entered with a pillow which she placed under the old woman’s head. Around us, the familiars were pacing the room in cat form, sniffing the corners and letting out deep guttural moans.

  I looked down and realised that at some point, Gabriella and I had locked our hands together. We untwisted our fingers and rushed over to the table.

  “Selene, its Gabriella. Can you hear me?”

  For the longest moment, there was no sound at all. Everyone waited with baited breath. Then the old woman made a groaning noise and placed a hand over her eyes. “I’m getting too old for this nonsense,” she sighed.

  “Selene what was that?” I asked. “I’m not entirely sure dear.” I ran my hands through my hair. “Why does all this stuff keep happening everywhere I go?” Gabriella placed her hands on her hips and stared at me. “Enough’s enough. We’re going to Faru.”

  26

  W e stood underneath the hulking picture. Gabriella kneeled down and gestured for me to copy. We stayed that way in complete silence for a moment until I felt the familiar grip of electricity. A voice emanated from within the painting.

  “Alexander, Gabriella. Is everything alright? You both seemed troubled.”

  My friend spoke without moving her lips, but I could hear her words perfectly, like we were on a telepathic conference call. “We are Faru. Please can we have a moment of your time?”

  “Of course.”

  With that we shuddered and were released from the grip. I stared in wonder as the picture began to swirl around like fresh paint on a canvass. At the bottom, where the end of Faru’s beard had been, the hole appeared. It grew in size until it filled most of the painting. The glass steps emerged from the middle and came to rest just in front of where we were knelt. Gabriella stood up and hurried inside, pulling me with her. As soon as we were through, the steps retracted and the painting was sealed again.

  We made our way along the strangest corridor I’d ever seen. The floor underneath our feet looked like tropical ocean water — complete with rippling waves — but felt as solid as concrete. A run of silver trees like the ones I’d seen in the Sanctuary stood next to one another. They were so close together that you could barely see where one finished and the next began. Their branches arched over our heads, knitting together whilst their glowing leaves bathed the hallway in a warm golden light. A set of ornate doors at the far end swung open by themselves.

  Inside was even more beautiful. The floor looked identical to frosted ice, but rippled like silvery water with every step we took. The walls were moving strips of light that rolled around each other and settled in different positions. They were solid one moment and transparent the next. Majestic plants the height of bungalows — with leaves of the brightest yellow- stretched up from the ground, giving the room a bright summerlike feeling. A spiralling silver staircase at the back of the room appeared to ascend into a patch of swirling blue clouds. A work bench stood in one corner. The half formed torso of a Golem sat on top, surrounded by numerous carving tools.

  Faru was standing in the middle of the room, behind a shimmering crystal desk, which appeared to be hovering a few feet from the ground. Amusingly, placed on the desk were painfully ordinary items, like a cordless telephone and stack of newspapers. He was looking through a large rectangular book. Closing and setting it aside, he gestured towards the space in front of the desk.

  “Please take a seat.”

  I looked around confused by the clear lack of chairs. I watched as Gabriella motioned to sit down. In an instance, a shimmering silver tube reached up from the floor and flattened out into a circular surface, like a pin. It collected Gabriella and moulded itself to her shape. I shrugged and did the same. I was caught by a surprisingly warm, comfortable seat.

  Faru sat down himself. Placing his elbows on the desk, he leaned forward. “I am assuming that this has something to do with Sophia’s sudden recovery.”

  Gabriella and I exchanged a glance. “Among other things,” I said.

  We told him everything, taking it in turns. About how I’d been dreaming of The Sorrow and how we suspected that there was a Rogue in the base. We reiterated about me somehow healing Sophia through Gabriella. We finished with the crazy events that had happened at Moon’s Edge. We told him what the voice had said, reading from the back of my handbook, where I’d written it down word for word.

  Once we’d finished, Faru didn’t say anything for a long time. He simply sat stroking his beard between his finger and thumb, like a philosopher musing on the meaning of life. “This is all beginning to make sense,” he said finally. “It appears everything that has happened is connected.” I sat up. “Connected how?” “First of all, you mu
st promise to remain calm.” I glanced at Gabriella, who frowned. “Okay, I promise.” “I already knew The Sorrow was tracking you.”

  My stomach lurched. “Wait, you knew? How could you know?”

  He tapped two fingers against his temple. “When I merged minds with you, I saw everything. Including the nightmares.”

  “How could you keep this from him? It’s his life!” Gabriella half-screamed, ignoring her usual manners around the Sage.

  Faru raised a hand. “Please settle down Gabriella, I can understand your distress, but let me reassure you. It was not my intention to permanently hide the truth from Alexander, but merely to avoid unnecessary panic, until I had a clear solution to the problem and more details about why he was being targeted.”

  My heart was pounding. I wanted to ask if he’d sealed the Veil. Or why he hadn’t told the other Sages he knew for sure. But I couldn’t. He’d know I’d been the one spying. Looking at Gabriella, I could tell she was thinking the same thing. Her expression was a mixture of horror and disbelief.

  “Hopefully I can further alleviate your concern. The moment Rachel returned through the Veil, I used Fae magic to seal it. The Sorrow cannot travel through whilst that seal remains in place.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. It’s done.

  “But there are other doorways. Surely it could just come through those,” Gabriella countered, playing the game, even though we both knew the answer.

  “We shall use our allies in Pandemonia to keep track of The Sorrow’s movements. As The Sorrow approaches each section of the Veil, we shall seal it and open the previous, effectively creating a moveable barrier. It will never reach Earth.”

  “That’s a good plan,” I said and meant it. I really hope it works. “I believe Hades sent the Sorrow to find you as a failsafe in case the Sons of Sorrow were unable to kill you first.” “But why?” demanded Gabriella. “Why target Alex?” “Because of what you heard in Moon’s Edge.” “What exactly did we hear?” I asked. Faru leaned forward and steepled his fingers together. “I believe you heard the voice of one of the Elementals.” Gabriella’s mouth fell open. “You mean like Lafelei and Phoenix?” “Yes.” I looked at them both in turn. “Does someone want to fill me in?”