Within the Cards

by Donna Altman

  Dee stood near me, but didn’t speak. She watched her sisters. She knew Ellie possessed the powers to control the elements. My thoughts reached Dee. I didn’t understand why Ellie didn’t just snap her fingers and change the moon in one instance.

  “She has to move the moons as they would move naturally. If they are off their rotation just one degree the spell will not work.” Dee’s thoughts projected to me.

  I continued to watch in amazement. When Ellie’s arms stopped their winding, I could see the moon was full. A haze obscured its brilliant shine. I looked at Dee, and she held up one finger as to quiet my thoughts. I returned to Ellie. She raised one of her arms again, and then she lightly blew into the air. Moving her extended arm, she wisped it in the direction to the north. The haze obeyed her command and vanished into the northern sky.

  The moon was bright and full. Its luster light danced upon the waters that rolled with the tide it commanded. This moon wasn’t blue as its name referred, but its aura cast a blue hews into the night sky. The stars danced at the moon’s beauty. Ellie turned to look at me. She was proud of her accomplishment. The pride I felt while watching Ellie in the moon's beam of light had no words to describe my increasing love for her. She was an angelic form standing by the water in this full night's light. She was the Ellie I recalled the first night I looked up, and she graced me with her beauty. If one could fall in love all over again, I did in that second she looked in my direction.

  Ellie moved toward the shore where Dee and I were standing. Her smile was gleaming as bright as the moon she had just adjusted. Dee was pleased with her sister’s power. She knew Ellie held more power than she or Suzi, but as Ellie grew from a small witchyre into an adult her powers lessened because she wasn’t allowed to practice them. Suzi took pleasure in that Ellie couldn’t use her power to their full strength. This was her intention to maintain control.

  “Ellie, the witching hour is close. You must be ready to cast the spell. Daught, you must push all thoughts from your head so Ellie can concentrate on our grandmother. We must all focus on Elizabeth and combine our thoughts as one to bring her forth.” Dee explained. Her tone was still unfriendly, but she supported her sister so she was subtle to me.

  Her concentration wasn’t on the hatred she felt for me, but it was on the love she had for Ellie. Then again, maybe she was in hopes to reverse the spell so Ellie wouldn’t hold her earlier betrayal against her. I knew Dee was asking me to help her sister for more reasons than to be nice to me because her tone was forceful. I let her believe she was in an authoritarian position because I was getting tired of fighting with her. At least I’ll let her think that for now. I had to concentrate on Ellie. I wanted what was best for her right now, what was best for both of us.

  As the witching hour arrived, Ellie stood again by the water’s edge. The white gown she wore danced in the sea’s breeze. I had never seen Ellie in white. She normally wore nothing but black. However, this was a ceremony. During ceremonies, Ellie explained, the one in control had to wear the white gown that represents purity to the gods.

  At the first strike of the witching hour, Ellie raised her hands to the heavens and began the chant from the book of mystical spells. Her voice was light as if the cherubs were singing. She concentrated on the heavens. Her angelic form stood alone to summons the spirits of the past. The winds calmed and the sea began to respond to her sound. Its rhythm tide danced to the words she spoke.

  Gather all spirits from the past

  Come back to the one I beg you last,

  The one in my thoughts must shall ye bring.

  Back to the living and make life ring.

  Come back to make her reality known

  and repair her immortality and claim her throne.

  LOUDER

  Gather all spirits from the past

  Come back to the one I beg you last.

  The one in my thoughts must shall ye bring,

  back to the living and make life ring.

  Come back to make her reality known,

  and repair her immortality and claim her throne.

  She chanted this many times, as the last stroke of the witching hours rang. It scared me that this wasn’t going to work, and now that my Ellie was back with me, we would have a short time before they abolished us.

  Ellie pulled her hands back to her chest and lowered her head. I wanted to go to her, but Dee placed her hand on my arm to keep me in the place where I stood. As she looked in the distance of the ocean in front of Ellie, a strange form appeared and moved closer. It was as if the tide were moving it closer and closer as if it were walking on the ocean’s surface. The form became bright. Ellie lifted her head to peer at the form. Dee’s eyes fixed on it as it ascended. Our thoughts were blank. I couldn’t hear what Ellie or Dee was thinking. Their eyes didn’t move. The form transformed into a physical body. She dressed in the time of her dated decease. She had long black hair that descended down to her waist in constant ringlets. Her dress flowed in the breeze as Ellie’s did. She was as blindingly beautiful as Ellie. It was as if Ellie was reincarnated as her grandmother. They looked identical except for the marked difference in wardrobe and hairstyle. Dee was in awe.

  “Grandmother?” Ellie asked.

  “Yes my child. You have grown into a remarkable woman.” Elizabeth proclaimed to Ellie. She smiled and stretched out her hands. Ellie took them.

  She looked up at Dee and smiled. Her voice was the same as Ellie and Dee’s. She spoke with a French Canadian accent.

  “Deeanna my darling, you have made me proud,” Dee and Ellie knelt at their grandmother’s feet. Elizabeth looked up at me.

  “You must be the one,” she said to me. I smiled in her direction.

  “Grandmother, this is Daughtry.” Ellie spoke as I bowed my head.

  “Please don’t fear me, my son. Eleanor loves you truly, and I’m here to remind her of this love.” She acknowledged she knew why we called her.

  “I love her, ma'am. She’s my existence.” I exclaimed.

  “Yes, I know this love. I love Ultress in the same way. I can see you are true.” She smiled, and she placed her hands on Ellie and Dee’s heads.

  “Rise, my children for I’m here to help you.” She told them.

  Ellie and Dee rose to their feet. Elizabeth touched them both on the chin. She smiled because she was proud of the offspring’s from her union with Ultress. They stood up for her and their grandfather. They were to be the rightful leaders of the Witchyre clan, but they were now outcast. They were now hunted for their actions. The witchyre leaders wanted to kill them as well as they did me. She knew this had to stop. She wouldn’t stand for this any longer.

  “We have much work to do, my children. We must work fast. They will soon be near,” she called to us. She took the book of spells from Dee. Dee still looked at her as if she had witnessed a miracle. This was true she had. No one had ever brought back an extinguished immortal. Elizabeth placed the book on a nearby peace of driftwood. I moved closer to Ellie. She took my hand. She was stunning in the moon light. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. She smiled at my pleasure in her appearance. Elizabeth thumbed through the pages until she found the spell that she looked for.

  “Awe, here it is,” She smiled as she looked at the book her ancestors made to list all of the spells her family might need in the future. I looked at Ellie as she moved closer to look in the book of spells. Ellie read the spell and smiled. This must have been the spell we needed to regain her memory. Dee looked at the book and read the spell as well.

  “This is to rekindle a love spell.” Dee's tone was matter-of-fact. She looked at her grandmother as if she questioned her knowledge.

  “Yes, my dear it is.” Elizabeth stated. She never wavered with Dee’s question. She knew the spell was the right one.

  “But her memory has to be replaced. She doesn't need to fall in love. She’s already in love with the vermin.” Dee showed her anger by the way she sneered in my direction.

  “My child,
you must remember when you cast this spell it only removed the spell that was already on her. She lost her memory of everything she knew from the beginning of the spell the witches placed on her as a child.” She explained. “No one can have more than one spell on them at a time.” She looked at Dee and was proud of her ability to correct her granddaughter.

  “One spell must be removed before the next can be placed. You and Suzanna just removed the spell that was already there.” She added and looked at Dee with her eyebrow raised.

  “So we just removed a love spell that was on her?” Dee asked as she raised her hand to her head. She looked like she was studying the memories of when they cast the spell.

  “Yes, before they extinguished me. I asked my hybrid family to place a spell on both of you. I knew you would be the ones that would be the strongest and could handle the outcome. I’m proud of you because I knew this day would come, and I knew you would be the ones that would bring me forth.” She explained.

  “Grandmother,” Ellie asked, “will I remember everything from before with Daught as well as everything up until now?” Ellie looked in my direction. She needed to know if she would remember the time we spent apart. She hoped that time would be a blurred memory.

  “Yes my dear, your complete memory will be intact.” She stated with a smile. Ellie again looked at me. I knew what she wanted to say to me. She wanted to apologize for all the mean things she said and did to me when we found each other again. I just laughed. I like the new Ellie. It showed the spitfire that I remembered. I loved her as she was before, and I loved her as she was now. Elizabeth took Ellie’s hands and mine.

  “You must stand here and never let the other ones eyes stray. Daughtry, when I tell you it will be time for you to place the kiss that will unlock her love and her memories as well,” she told me. I knew this wouldn’t be hard. I couldn’t wait to kiss Ellie. She read my thoughts and laughed.

  I placed my eyes on Ellie's. Her eyes fixed on mine. I could not believe I had found the woman I loved so deeply and soon she would remember the love she once felt for me. I looked deep into her icy, gray eyes, and I could see sparkles from the different shades of gray with a hint of blue that cascaded through her eyes. No longer did I feel the coldness of her eyes, but I felt the warmth of love that radiated through them. It was enough to warm an entire continent. She stared deeply at mine, and I could read her thoughts. She wondered how she could love me any more than she did right now. The powerful spell of love must be over rated because she couldn’t imagine the depths of her love could go any deeper.

  “Ok Daught here goes nothing.” She smiled at me and winked.

  “Ellie stop worrying. You’re the one that's stuck with a mental vampire.” I winked back at her.

  “I’ll have to get use to the smell.” She laughed. I couldn’t help it, but I began to laugh as well. Elizabeth looked at both of us with the disapproving look that a parent would look at a child playing in church.

  “Are you two going to continue to chat, or are you going to listen to grandmother.” Dee lashed. We both snickered. She sneered in my direction. The hatred she felt for me was obvious to all, but I knew Dee’s jealously was eating at her. It was a jealously she wasn’t use to having, and I feared would be one she wouldn’t be able to control.

  “Stop hating, Dee.” I lashed back at her and smiled at Ellie.

  “All of you stop it.” Elizabeth declared. We regained our composer.

  Elizabeth moved toward the water. Her feet were touching the wet ripples. Ellie and I stood facing each other just as if we were going to say wedding vows as humans do. Her eyes never left mine. I loved her smile, her nose, and her lips. I loved everything about her. She knew my thoughts, and I knew hers. Then Dee’s thought seeped into my head, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Shut up Dee.” I thought as she elbowed me in the side. Ellie began to giggle.

  “Are you three going to be serious or not.” Elizabeth asked.

  “Yes ma'am” we all answered. Dee sneered in my direction. Ellie hissed at Dee. We tried to block Dee’s thoughts out of our heads, but I could feel the hatred she had for me.

  Elizabeth began:

  The never-ending twines of love come forth and regain your dove.

  For she was removed from your grasp, claim your portal and forever last.

  For the one that loves her most, bring the memories back to this host.

  When he places a kiss upon her lips, forever more this is where she will sip.

  With the last words spoken, I bent down and kissed Ellie deeply. I felt a different kind of electricity, but it was familiar. This vibration ran through my entire existence with her touch. I didn’t want to release Ellie’s lips. I was scared she still wouldn’t remember me. Yes, it was true I loved Ellie as she was now, but I missed the old Ellie. She was the one I deeply needed to return, and I needed her to love me as I loved her. However, if this didn’t work I would love the Ellie of now. She was different from before, but I was as much in love with this new Ellie as I was the old one.

  I released the pressure of my lips to hers. I pulled slightly away just enough to see her eyes when they opened. She stood there with her eyes still clamped shut. She had read my thoughts during our kiss, and it scared her too. I smiled at her beauty. She kept her eyes tight as a child trying not to peep on Christmas morning. I projected my thoughts to her. I told her it was all right, that I loved her no matter what.

  “Ellie, I love you, come back to me.” I pleaded.

  I don’t pray, but I sent a request to the Gods of the past.

  Ellie’s reaction:

  I was scared to open my eyes. I felt Daught’s anticipation, but I feared when I opened my eyes my memories wouldn’t be there. I knew how much Daught wanted me back the way I use to be. He loved me, but he longed for our lives from before. I heard his thoughts of wanting the Ellie he loved so much so many decades ago. I wanted to give this back to him.

  “Ellie, I love you, come back to me.” He pleaded. His voice was so tender. I slowly opened my eyes and looked into his waiting face. With a swoosh of recollection, the memories flooded me. From the night I found him to the first night we made love, all the way until the night I hid him.

  "Never forget me, I will come back for you, I love you too much to forget". I said as I remember the last words I spoke to him.

  I looked into his eye. He knew I remembered every minute that we shared. The joy in his eyes was indescribable. I jumped up and down with excitement. I couldn’t believe I was back with Daught. I loved him so much. He had saved me from the loneliness of my world before him. I thanked the Gods above in the universe for bringing my Daught back to me.

  “I’m back, Daught. I love you.” I spoke. His arms opened, and I jumped into them.

  “You're home my Ellie, you're home. I love you so much.” He smiled and swirled me around and around.

  .

  Chapter Nineteen

  ELLIE THEN AND NOW

  She was back. I couldn’t control my excitement. My Ellie was back. I picked her up, and I swung her around and around. I turned to look at Dee and Elizabeth, but they had turned their backs and walked away from us. I knew they were giving us time to rekindle our love. Ellie was giggling just as I remembered. There was no hatred or harshness in her tone. I felt the gentleness of the loving person I once laid with for eternal nights. I had a difficult time controlling my enthusiasm.

  “Ellie, you're back!” I shouted.

  “Yes, Daught it’s me.” She smiled and giggled.

  I picked her up again. She lay horizontal to the sea in my arms, and I swung her around while she laughed. I didn’t realize the water was splashing up on us. We kissed and gazed into each other’s eyes.

  “I love you Ellie,” I told her as if it were the first time I proclaimed my love. I couldn’t remove the grin on my face.

  “I love you too, Daught.” She replied as she smiled. The smile could never be removed from her face either. As I put her down, she slides d
own my body never breaking the contact we held. Our feet stood in the depths of the water as the tide rose. We now stood to our knees in the warm water. I would never let her go again. She knew my thoughts, and she projected the same thoughts to me.

  Ellie had her memories back. The memories of the years we spent together and of those far beyond my time. She was complete, never again to wonder about the gap in her existence. This was the old Ellie. She was the one I loved from one hundred years ago, and she was the Ellie I fell in love with again. Our love couldn’t be broken. It withstood the removal of a spell. A spell that made Ellie forget me, and now with the spell of love replaced she was back with me completely.

  “Daught, I can’t believe I forgot our love, but at the same time, I knew you were special.” She told me.

  “Yea, you thought I was insane.” I laughed as I pushed her hair behind her ears.

  “Oh I still think that, but now I know why.” She giggled back. She buried her forehead into my chest as she shook her head back and forth. I pulled her chin up and looked deep into her eyes.

  “Ellie, we’re supposed to be together. I was never a mistake or an indiscretion. I’m your intended life partner, and you’re mine.” I assured her. She smiled and kissed me.

  Ellie was pleased she created me so many years ago. This was a fear I carried with me. I worried after she lived her life as it was for the last one hundred years, she would regret her choice so many decades ago. She didn’t, and I felt the love that radiated from her very being.