"Come forth, Benjamin, Warrior descended from the Clouds of Heaven. Welcome, Bloodflame, Wolf of Flame and Blood," The Professor spoke loud enough for them to hear.
Z stepped forward and went through the same ritual as Becca. A large timber wolf split from underneath his shadow. Intelligent amber eyes surveyed the group as it came to stand next to Z, an extension of his presence. The man and wolf stopped to look at one another before taking their place back in the circle.
"Wren, Weaver of Fate, alas you have a soul companion, Come forth and welcome Softpaw." When Wren returned, Erika looked on Softpaw with utter amazement. The little white fox even had mismatched eyes like her Mistress.
Now it was Erika's turn. The Professor called out to her, "Erika, Daughter of Shadow, Walker of the Grey Mists. Step forth and greet, Amaya, Messenger of the Hidden Realms." When he touched her shoulder, Erika felt a spiraling burn - not painful but a warm, unexpected, and intense sensation. When he hit her chest, a black iridescent raven burst forth with a loud guttural caw. She held in her breath in awe as the raven flew the circle. She held up her hand, and the shadowy raven came to perch on her extended arm. It was solid black except for one white feather on its right-wing. She reached out with her finger and gently stroked the bird. It preened its feathers as they went to stand back at their place in the circle. The connection between the two was instant and intense. A real bonding of the soul. A piece of the raven in her and a piece of her in the raven.
"Step forward, Millie, daughter of Storm Wind and Sea. Join with Alva Snow Wind." The graceful shadow of a puma kitten leaped from Millie's chest. Its loud purr could be heard over the wind, which was picking up as the storm winds approached. Millie looked stunned into its gold-green eyes as it sprung into her arms. Joy on her face, she came to take her place next to Erika.
"Come, Velvet, Stalker of Death and Rebirth. Greet, Nerrisa of the Blood Rose" The shadow of a great vulture seemed to slide out from Velvet. The two looked at one another before Velvet walked back to the circle with the great carrion bird at her side.
“Long last we come to you, Roxi. Come forth, Ambassador of the house of Golden Flowers, greet Aiko.” A delicate hummingbird flew out from her hair and came to perch on her ear.
Standing at the altar, the Professor's voice seemed as clear as a bell, "As it was foretold, so it will be." The man seemed smaller now, as though the deep soul magic he performed had diminished him. The black cloak's hood slipped from his head, revealing the skeletal face of Bjorn Stewardsen. A shadow husk of the man he had once been. The price of the soul magic he performed the life force of his veins.
Chapter 7
Standing at the altar, Jewel put her hand on Papa Doc's as he returned to her side. He was weak now and dying. The ceremony had gone much better than she anticipated. Jewel could not hide her smile. His power, she thought with a shudder, was sublime. Her son, Timothy, told her Professor Stewardsen was powerful, but she had no idea the ancients' blood ran in his veins. The original method had been for the group to siphon his power and leave her a young, wealthy widow. But, when the braggart told her all about the talented young people he was working with, well, her plans changed. Their talents, training, progress, and abilities detailed in folders he kept locked away in his office. What a wonderful surprise that had been, she remembered, running her tongue over her teeth. And his apprentices, all-powerful, all clueless, all perfect fruit for picking.
A little encouragement, and it had been easy to seduce the much older man. He was lonely and not use to a woman as beautiful as her giving him any attention. "Yes, his attraction to the seer girl had been an issue at first. But" she thought with a shrug, "a little DMT in his coffee each morning, a little glamour, and the power of suggestion and six weeks later they had been married." It was that easy.
And now for their souls' pieces... She ran her fingertips across the soul jars. Oh yes, she would have her dark power. Motioning for Roxi, she watched as the girl passed out a mason jar. Each jar appeared to be half full of dirt, hair, pieces of clothing, and some other unidentifiable items.
Her eyes danced with dark fire as she called to her gate holders, "Are we ready?" she asked the others. "Yes, Mistress," Devonne, Preacher Tim, Jim, and Rayne answered in unison, holding the circle's four quarters. Jewel tossed her head back and laughed, the sound riding the winds and echoing across the river. Wrapping the twine around the others' twig figures, she began chanting three times, "Like a mist driven away by a sudden wind, this piece of your soul I take. Like a mist driven away by a sudden wind, this piece of your soul I take. Like a mist driven away by a sudden wind, this piece of your soul I take."
The animal Fylgjur began to scream and squawk - growing smaller in size. They were drawn into the mason jars which Jewel then sealed. Erika felt she was being ripped apart from the inside out but found herself unable to cry out or move. Looking at the others, she found she was not alone.
The young ones were hers now, and she would do with them what she wished. Some of them would be useful and kept as pets; the others sacrificed for the power she coveted. In the torchlight, her eyes danced with dark fire. Raising her hands, she called out to the gatekeepers of Chaos and Darkness.
"Dark Ones, I, the White Queen of Boucherie call forth to you. Malevolent Spirits of Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind, Above and Below, HEAR MY RAGE," Jewel screamed as the winds began to pick up. Lightening crashed across the night sky while thunder boomed in the distance, "May your power flow into this plane, Open up onto this realm."
A tug of energy snagged its hooks into Erika's like a giant hook clutching at the core of her being. She trembled and shook as though she was being electrocuted. When the tug of the energy ebbed off her, she noticed her sisters had a blinding, pinkish glow to their eyes. She now realized that her shields were stripped during the spirit animal's manifestation ritual. With a sinking feeling, she knew the same light reflected on her own.
Helplessly, she watched as Jewel approached Roxi. The older woman's hand snaked out and reached the pregnant girl by her throat. Erika thought she saw the silver glint of a blade in her hand, but everything was happening so fast she was not sure. The shell of a man who used to be Papa Doc stood holding Roxi upright as Jewel pulled the young woman to her. Before Erika could scream Jewel had slit the girl's belly. She tried to turn her head away from the horror of what she was witnessing but found herself paralyzed. As much as she did not want to watch, she could not turn away from the scene as Jewel forced her hand inside Roxi's belly. Erika could hear the sucking sound the blood made when Jewel's hand plunged inside the wound in Roxi's abdomen. But the noise that Jewel made pulling the newborn out of Roxi's stomach wound was more than Erika could take, and she bit back the bile in her throat. From the gaping maw in her abdomen, the newborn's screams echoed throughout the wood.
Circular lightning illuminated the sky now with an otherworld intensity. Next, the shattering sound of thousands of pieces of glass breaking surrounded them. The group watched in amazement as a giant tear appeared in the sky, forming a spiraling portal. Holding her breath, Erika watched as a terrible wall of churning blackness could be seen on the other side of the tear. Shadow tentacles began to push and pry, exploring its boundaries.
Paralyzed with fear Erika watched as a shadowed figure manifested inside the circle and began to take form. A phantom monk carved from darkness, blacker than the blackest black. The energy coming from the foulest she had ever seen or felt. Beside her Wren collapsed on the wet ground, her small body going into convulsions.
Sheets of rain washed away the stain of crimson that had been Roxi's life's blood. Jewel's white robes now painted crimson were plastered to her body like a second skin. She stepped over the child's dying mother as if she were nothing more than a piece of trash. Jewel held out the newborn as an offering to the terrible creature that had taken shape before them. Raising her voice to a scream, "I offer this child to you, Great Master, Unmaker, Dark Tyrant of these end of days. A boon to do with as you wi
sh."
A movement to her left caught Erika's eye. It was Velvet! She had somehow broken free of the drugged state the orange mead had dealt them. Erika watched a spark of hope in her chest as Velvet rushed to Roxi's aid. Half sliding and half-kneeling Velvet checked the young mother's pulse. Worried, she looked around the circle, her eyes stopping on Jewel. Jewel just laughed at her as the monk murmured some words in a language so black that it hurt the ears of all who heard it. Erika watched as Velvet applied pressure to the wound, she twitched and ... NO! Erika's mind screamed in protest as Velvet seemed to lift her hand from Roxi's belly and lick the blood.
For a split second, Velvet's eyes met hers, and Erika wondered if she had heard her mental screams. In that moment of hesitation, Jewel appeared behind Velvet with the knife still in her hand, like a viper she struck out and slashed at Velvet. With fantastic dexterity, Velvet was able to dodge the blade. She looked different now; her eyes rolled back in her head like a great white shark. With inhuman strength, she snatched Roxi into her arms and jumped out of Jewel's reach. Roxi cried out in pain, but Velvet ignored her. As crazy as it seemed, Erika watched as Velvet savagely bit her arm and put it to Roxi's mouth.
Preach starts to move from his place in the east to help Jewel, who was now circling a bleeding Velvet and Roxi. "Whatever you do, don't break the circle," Jewel screamed at him. She moved to rush at Velvet with the athame drawn. While the Black Monk moved stealthily behind her, he snatched Velvet into his arms. Erika watched helplessly as her friend struggled to get free from the figures' grasp. Lightning crashed, illuminating Jewel as she lashed out, striking Velvet in the throat. Blood poured from her wound as thunder crashed ushering the storm in.
Jewel licked Velvet's blood from the athame, "Dark Master, I offer you these nine souls to take and do with as you wish.”
The storm broke for a moment, and the river valley went still as the Black Monk began to wrap Velvet within folds of blackness. The moon glowed an eerie orange, when across the sky Erika saw two birds. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning crashed down into the ash tree. The large tree exploded as though detonated by TNT causing fire to spread down the trunk with tendrils spreading across the ground. The power fueling circle extinguished as all standing in its vicinity were knocked off their feet.
Once the circle was broken, time seemed to fast forward. Erika's chest hurt, and she was having difficulty breathing. Struggling to her feet, she saw Jewel, and the sight was chilling. The woman's eyes were rolled back in her head, and she was chanting something in gibberish. Helping Wren to her feet, she counted heads. "This isn’t good," she muttered, referring to the dark chasm spewing forth wisps of shadow behind the woman. The Black Monk was gone. No trace of him or Roxi's child.
Buck must have been the first to his feet. Erika watched as he and Velvet gathered Roxi and began to run towards the house. Millie, Becca, and Z were starting to stir. So was Jim Standingfoot, who was making his way to his wife's side. Devonne was still out and Preach was coming to.
"We need to go," she shouted to Wren, who was kneeling by the Professor. Their mentor lay in the mud -pale and as still as a corpse. Not knowing if she should help the others or run, Erika stood rooted in place. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and the forest suddenly seemed to come to life.
Tall, thin beings, blacker than the blackest night crept into the clearing. Terrified, Erika watched in disbelief. She blinked several times, unsure of what was real and what was not. Hairy giants dropped onto the forest floor, seemingly out of nowhere while others crept forward from the woods, slithering along the ground, large red eyes glowing in the storm's light.
One of the hairy beings clutched at Jewel, but the black souled witch flicked her hand to swat a gnat. Flying, the creature knocked down two of the ancient oaks before it fell. Jewel screamed as three more jumped her. Her animalistic screams pierced the night, along with the crackling pop of muscle and bone being wrenched apart. Erika turned her eyes, unable to watch as the creatures tore her limb from limb.
The sound of her name snapped Erika out of her fear paralysis. "Erika? Erika?" Wren called, pulling at her arm before running to see to the professor. Watching as Devonne ran through the chaos to the altar, Erika breathed, "No way." The little man looked around nervously, first, from the forest giants and then to the portal as he worked to gather the jars containing the group’s souls' pieces. He was wrapping the jars and putting them in a large sack.
Calling to her, Wren wailed, "He is dying. Help me." She had pulled the Professor as far as she could in the chaos that had erupted. Wren did not see Jim Standingfoot until it was too late. He took the Professor from her and him over his shoulder. The big man was trying to slink off unnoticed in the chaos when Wren's sharp cry gained the attention of two of the tall, hairy creatures. They took one step and crossed the clearing, dwarfing the native who seemed to visibly pale upon looking at them. One threw a rock, hitting Jim in the head and knocking him to the ground. Its companion then plucked the Professor from his grasp and disappeared into the wood line.
"No!" Wren screamed, attempting to run after them, but Erika grabbed her. Out of control, Wren struggled to get free giving Erika no choice but to slap her. She gave the girl a rough shake and pointed to Preach, who was running off towards the house, "Wren, I don't understand what the fuck is going on, but I do know we need to get those soul jars from Devonne and Preach or we are all screwed."
Wren started to protest, but Erika stopped her, smoothing strands of the girl's wet hair from her eyes, "if Devonne gets away with our Fylgjur we are as good as dead. Then no one can help Papa Doc." Dropping her hand, Erika started to run after Devonne. Relief coursed through her when she saw Wren was on her heels.
Devonne was breathing heavily when the two girls caught up with him in the kitchen. As they burst in the door behind them, he turned horrified, relief washing over his face when he saw who it was. "I thought you were one of those things," he claimed out of breath.
Erika moved to grab the sack full of jars when without warning, Devonne backhanded her and while she was stunned, snatched the bag back from her grasp. "I don't think so, Princess," he spat with so much venom, she was as stunned by the force behind his words. Stumbling back from the force, blood filled her mouth as she bit her tongue.
Angry, she rushed at the smaller man to try to get the jars away from his grasp once more. Overpowering him, the two fell to the floor. "Wren, help me!" she cried as they wrestled, each hitting and clawing.
"Yes, Wren, help her," Preach said, emerging from the shadows, rope in his hands, "or help me. After all, I know how to cure the Professor."
"Wren – he doesn’t even have the Professor – those shadow things took him!"
“Yes, Wren, they took him for us,” The madness that shone in his eyes reflected in Wren's pained ones. Her head hung defeated as she took the rope from him. Unable to meet Erika's eyes, she helped him tie her up in one of the kitchen chairs.
"Erika," Wren whispered, "I am sorry." The rain had started back, and the sound came crashing down on the tin roof.
Erika hissed, unwilling to look at her friend the betrayal more than she could try and understand at present. She should have listened to Ransom because this night totally sucked.
"Oh, poor, Little Bird," Preacher chided, "Who will help you now?”
“Oh, Fuck You," she said quietly. Preach punched her then, hard and fast. Erika was reasonably sure he had broken her nose. He had her pinned as he started to hit her again. When she fell into a heap on the floor, he began to kick her. He never expected the big hairy hand when it burst through the bay window, grabbing him. Before she had a chance to react, she blacked out. Devonne, Tim, and Wren were the last faces she saw scrambling for cover as a second hairy giant burst through the kitchen door.
Chapter 8
12 hours later
The Greening, Veil Between the Worlds
Drifting in and out of consciousness, Erika sat up only to have a large, l
eathery hand reach out from the darkness and gently push her back where she was lying. In her dreamlike state, she thought she heard, "Don't talk. Rest," but she wasn't sure. The voice sounded like gibberish or one of those Japanese martial arts movies Ransom liked to watch. But it was weird. She did not really hear the voice or saw who spoke to her. It was more like the words were implied into her subconscious, and she just knew what was said.
Erika smelled fresh dug earth and a mixture of pine, oak, and ash. There was something heavy weighing on her chest. Feeling around in the darkness her fingers found round objects laying symmetrically from the top of her head all the way down her torso. She was not sure what there were for, but they felt like some sort of stone. Maybe quartz crystal? With a flash of recognition, she understood the stones were lying on her charkas. Whoever she was with was helping her heal.
She was not sure how long she slept, but it felt like ages. She knew she had tried to pull herself away sooner but floundered in and out of consciousness. Maybe she had a fever and was delusional? All she knew was she did not know where she was or what she was doing here.
Her body ached all over. The only time she had felt this sore was after the wreck that killed her father. Gently she traced the puffiness along her jaw - it was gone. What the heck happened last night, she wondered as a wave of pain shot through her. She fought off the sudden sense of dread that was creeping over her. She was not cold, though, it was damp and humid here wherever here was. She was thankful at least she was dry, seeming to remember a terrible storm. Her strange hairy nurse handed her some moss, and Erika knew that she was to chew on it without being told that the pain would subside. She was surprised and relieved when it worked.
Tapestry of Worlds : Part One - The White Raven Awakens Page 6