The Witch's Thirst

by Deborah LeBlanc

Smiling, yet seemingly flustered, Ronan began grabbing things from the suite. His belt, his scabior... “I’ll go and meet up with Lucien to make sure he doesn’t need help at the catacombs. See you at the docks later?”

  “Absolutely,” Evee said, and grinned. All the while, all she could do was wonder why her smiles and grins and dinner date agreement felt fake. Like she was someone else making the promises. Giving out what was so desperately sought after by a wonderful, albeit quiet, thoughtful man.

  No matter how many tongue-lashings she gave herself mentally, or how many logical explanations she forced into her brain about agreeing to date Ronan, Evee still couldn’t help feeling like an asshole.

  Chapter 9

  Having been summoned by the Elders earlier, Evee, Gilly and Viv had little choice but to make an appearance. They’d put off the meeting as long as possible, but the inevitable had to happen.

  They’d met up at an agreed-upon time about a block from the Elders’ home. Surprisingly, each of their familiars had been there, waiting for them, when they arrived. When ordered to go home, they refused. Being too tired to argue, Evee and her sisters simply walked to their destination in silence, familiars in tow.

  After a quick welcome, they’d been escorted into the dining room and motioned to sit at the table, which they did. The room had an old Victorian air about it, but felt comfortably lived in. The dining room contained a beautiful oblong oak table held upright by a large, claw-footed pedestal. Eight oak chairs surrounded the table, each covered with soft, albeit worn, pastel fabric. Against one wall stood a huge china hutch that held more bric-a-brac than china, and beside it sat a small oak table draped with crisp white linen. Atop the linen sat a blue, antique washbowl and pitcher.

  Even at this hour, it was evident the Elders had taken the time to dress for the meeting. Vanessa, who appeared to be in her midsixties, the same age as Arabella, wore a black polyester pantsuit printed with red and yellow flowers, and pink slippers, the only type of shoe Vanessa ever wore. She was a constant worrier and often forgetful. Her hair had been dyed auburn, and she wore it in a chin-length sweep-over. Her aquiline nose sat perfectly between bright brown eyes, and wine-red lipstick covered her thin lips. Vanessa loved costume jewelry and a lot of it. Her ears weren’t pierced, so she had black and white baubles, the same size and color of her necklace, clamped to her earlobes.

  Taka, on the other hand, wore an electric blue overshirt on top of a black blouse and had accessorized it with a string of pearls and a turquoise necklace. Her earrings were turquoise, as well, but about the size of brooches. She was a week shy of sixty-nine, had snow-white hair, which she wore in a tousled pixie cut, blue eyes and a snub nose. Arabella had evidently chosen to dress a little more conservatively for the meeting. She wore a light lavender, silk blouse and white linen pants, and her makeup had been perfectly applied to her heart-shaped face. Her blond-white hair sat on her shoulders, curling under slightly. A classic look for a classy lady.

  Arabella began the meeting by telling them about Gunner, Brunedee and more than Evee wanted to hear.

  When Arabella finished her report, they sat around the table silent, the mood somber.

  “So, let me get this straight,” Evee said to Arabella, finally breaking the silence. “You originally found out about the human attack from Gunner Stern, one of the sorcerers?”

  “Yes,” Arabella said.

  “How did he find out about it?” Gilly asked.

  “Word travels,” Arabella said. “And the sorcerers get around a lot more than we do.”

  “How can you trust anything any one of the sorcerers has to say?” Viv asked. “They’ve always been out for themselves. Since when have they ever shown the want or need to help the Triad or any member of the Circle of Sisters?”

  Arabella held up a hand. “I know, but for some reason, I think we can trust Gunner.”

  “What makes you say that?” Evee asked. “He’s always hanging around with Trey Cottle and Shandor Black. Both are snakes in the grass, in my opinion. Their power belongs to them and them alone. They use it to their advantage, and they very rarely, if ever, use their spells or incantations or whatever the hell else they do to better mankind.”

  “Gunner’s not like that,” Arabella insisted.

  “Why are you so set on defending him?” Evee persisted.

  “Well, first of all, he didn’t have to share any information with me. He could have kept it to himself and gloated over it. In fact, we should have gotten the information from you before hearing it from any sorcerer or a sister who lives a hundred miles away.”

  “What sister?” Gilly asked.

  “Brunedee.”

  Gilly sighed, and then everyone fell silent.

  Evee sat with Hoot perched on her right shoulder, quiet for once, and felt anger start to bubble up in her chest. To her, having the sorcerers know about their problems just made things worse. She stole a glance at her sisters. Both sat, staring at the table, apparently deep in thought. Elvis, Gilly’s ferret, had wrapped himself around his mistress’s shoulders and Socrates, Viv’s Bombay cat, lay across her lap.

  “If it helps,” Taka said, breaking the silence, “we only found out about the human and Original a relatively short time ago.”

  “Hours ago,” Vanessa corrected. “Hours.”

  Taka glared at her and tsked.

  “Okay,” Evee said. “Gunner and Brunedee told you. What happened after that? I don’t understand what’s going on here.” She looked from Arabella to Taka, then at Vanessa. These were their Elders, the women the Triad were supposed to go to when all else failed. Right now they simply looked like three tired old women.

  “Weren’t you supposed to contact all the leaders in the Circle of Sisters and ask for their assistance?” Evee asked Arabella. “Weren’t they supposed to put out a collective protection spell around this city? A binding spell to protect us against the Cartesians and the disappearance of more Originals?”

  “I did,” Arabella said. “All of it. I can’t explain why the spells have been ineffective. Occasionally, the three of us can get a spell to work. Then at other times they don’t.”

  “Maybe it’s the ozone layer,” Taka said. “Or global warming. Probably both, since we have so much pollution, and glaciers are melting, you know.”

  “What the hell does that have to do with their spells?” Vanessa snapped.

  “Well, if it can affect glaciers and the heating pattern of the earth, don’t you think both or at least one can affect spells?” Taka said.

  “I don’t believe it’s either,” Arabella said. “Something else is going on. We just haven’t been able to put a finger on it. Tell us what’s been going on with the three of you. What problems are you running into? How are the Originals?”

  “I have the Nosferatu together in the catacombs,” Evee said. “The Benders created this electrical dome with their scabiors to keep any Cartesians from getting to them. Seems to be working.”

  “Same with the Loup Garous,” Viv said. “I’ve got them all together in the North Compound.”

  “The Chenilles are together in the Louis I Cemetery,” Gilly said.

  Arabella frowned. “How can you keep them cooped up like that without infighting?”

  “Oh, we have infighting,” Evee said. “At least I do. But so far, my calming spells seem to keep them under control.”

  “So your spells work?” Vanessa asked.

  “Sometimes,” Evee said. “Fortunately, the calming one did.”

  “Hmm,” Arabella mused. “I guess those Benders know what they’re doing. Electrical domes. Who’d have thought of that?”

  “Yeah, it was a good idea,” Evee said, “but we ran into a problem with the one in the catacombs earlier today. Its power began to wane. It had to be recharged. I’m concerned that whatever’s affectin
g our spells will wind up dousing those domes until they’re out and can’t be recharged. We’re taking advantage of them while they’re still live. Keeping the Originals we have protected beneath the domes while we search for the missing ones.”

  “My word,” Arabella said, the furrows in her brow deepening.

  “Global warming,” Taka said. “I’m telling you. Global warming.”

  “Oh, shut up with your global warming,” Vanessa snapped.

  “Stop, both of you,” Arabella said to Vanessa and Taka. “We’ve got some serious issues to work through, and the problem is that I don’t have a clue about what to do about them. I do know that we have to get this under control and fast. The police have already been here twice. They showed up not long after we heard about the human and the Nosferatu.”

  Evee felt her blood run cold. “What did you tell them?”

  “Nothing,” Arabella said. “I didn’t even answer the door. We just stayed really still and quiet and waited until they left.”

  “They’ll be back,” Vanessa said. “I feel it.”

  “Why would they come here?” Gilly asked. “Why would they tie you to the Nosferatu or any of the Originals? We’ve spent years protecting the city from any knowledge of the Originals and of us. I mean who we were...are.”

  “I think our cover’s blown,” Taka said. “They’re going to be hunting us like dogs. You wait and see. It’ll be like back in the day. Lynchings, burning at the stake, the whole enchilada.”

  “Stop. You’re overreacting,” Arabella said.

  “Oh, yeah?” Taka replied. “Then how come you refused to answer the door? I’m telling you, we’re going to be riding the flashback train. People are going to come after us, wanting to burn the devil out of us.”

  Vanessa huffed. “You’re going over the deep end, Taka. We have enough to deal with without your imagination jumping onto an express train to never-never land.”

  “I’m not on any train,” Taka insisted. “It’s the truth.”

  Gilly huffed. “Look, instead of spending so much time arguing, explain to me why an entire clan of the Circle of Sisters can’t affect change in this situation. We’re talking at least, what, fifteen to seventeen hundred witches around the country, all of them focused on our situation, and yet not only are we still fighting the same problems, but more are being added every day.”

  Gilly turned to Arabella, her expression hard with fury. “Why is that, Arabella? I mean, you’re the head of this group of Elders. Why are spells from around this country turning out to be so ineffective? Why are ours useless, for the most part? What the hell are we supposed to do?”

  Arabella returned her hard stare. “The first thing we have to figure out is why they’re not working.”

  “And how are we supposed to do that?” Evee asked. “Anybody have a functioning crystal ball here?”

  “Oh, crystal balls are so passé,” Taka said.

  Arabella suddenly sat upright in her chair. “Evee, have you tried channeling?”

  “Huh?” Evee said, the question catching her unawares.

  “Channeling. Maybe you can contact one of the dead Originals, some of the Loup Garous that were slaughtered or the Chenille that’s passed on. Even Chank, your Nosferatu. Maybe they can see more from the other side than what we’re seeing here. They might have some idea about what we can do with this.”

  Evee pursed her lips. She considered Arabella’s suggestion. Thought it might have some merit.

  Just as she was about to voice her agreement to try the channeling, Hoot began to flap a wing. He hopped off Evee’s shoulder and landed on the dining room table and walked rapidly from one end of the table to the other, squawking the entire time. Among the Triad, Evee was the only one who understood what Hoot was shouting about. Unfortunately, she knew the Elders could understand him, as well.

  “What?” Arabella asked, staring at Hoot.

  The owl flapped his wings, and screeched until Evee thought he’d lose his voice. Hoot was ratting her out about her intimacy with Lucien. She wanted to duck under the table and hide from embarrassment.

  Evidently deciding to join the rat wagon, Socrates scrambled off Viv’s lap and jumped onto the table, along with Hoot. He began to meow, then caterwaul.

  Although Evee couldn’t understand what Socrates was saying, judging from the red blotches blooming on Viv’s cheeks, it wasn’t a good thing. She had a feeling Viv was being snitched on by her familiar, as well.

  Knowing it would be useless to try and quiet Hoot, Evee had to wait until he ran out of steam. When both owl and cat finally stood quietly on the table, Arabella, Taka and Vanessa stared at the Triad with shocked expressions.

  “Is—is it true?” Arabella asked. “They’re saying the two of you have been intimate with the Benders. Those human Benders.”

  Elvis, Gilly’s ferret, let out a small chitter and snuggled closer to his mistress.

  Evee looked from Viv to Gilly, then back to Arabella. Words refused to come out of her mouth.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time,” Arabella said to Evee and Viv. “Have you two been intimate with the Benders?”

  Evee wanted to take Hoot by the neck and pluck every feather from his body. After a long moment, she finally faced Arabella and said, “Yes, I have.”

  “Me, too,” Viv said, her voice just above a whisper.

  “In the name of all gods, are you kidding?” Taka said. “Oh, this is bad. Very not good.”

  Vanessa threw her hands up. “Figures. Hell, it might not be good, but at least we’re getting closer to solving our spell problems.”

  “What do you mean we’re getting closer to solving them?” Viv asked.

  Arabella aimed her chin at Evee. “Your familiar claims you’ve been intimate with Lucien, and you,” she aimed her chin at Viv, “with Nikoli.” She looked at Gilly. “Your familiar has given us no indication of any transgression on your part, so I’m assuming you have not, as of yet, been intimate with the human Bender you’re paired with?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Gilly said. “I have not.”

  Arabella leaned into the dining table. “I think we’ve found the problem as to why some of our spells aren’t working. Why we’re being inundated with such chaos and mayhem.” Her voice rose an octave, and her eyes sparked with anger. “You know the rules about humans, do you not, Vivienne and Evette?”

  “Yes, I do,” Evee said. “But the Triad curse says that we’re not to marry a human or live intimately with one. Neither Viv nor I have married a Bender, nor are we living intimately with them.”

  “That may not make a difference,” Taka said. “It’s all in the interpretation. It’s possible that sleeping...no, having sex with a human counts, as well. For all we know, it could be the reason why the ozone layer is thinning.”

  “Drop the damn ozone layer,” Vanessa snapped.

  “Yet it could be enough to cause our spells to not work,” Arabella said solemnly.

  “But not all of our spells are ineffective. Remember, I told you my calming spell worked on the Nosferatu,” Evee pointed out.

  “Were you intimate with the Bender before or after you cast that spell?” Arabella asked.

  Evee glanced away and chewed her bottom lip. She remembered how Lucien had touched her as she sat on the dryer, still soaking wet after having jumped into the river. How his thumbs found their way between her legs, crisscrossing, circling, rubbing across her jeans until she’d exploded beneath his hand.

  “Before or after?” Arabella asked again.

  “I didn’t have sex with him before or after the spell,” Evee said, feeling a tinge of guilt. It wasn’t like she lied. They really hadn’t had sex. Not yet, anyway.

  Arabella narrowed her eyes. “But were you intimate with him in any way?”

  Ev
ee threw up her hands, hating the interrogation. “Yes, yes, we were intimate. No sex, but intimate, yes. And I wanted more, damn it!” She wanted to grab the blue pitcher perched inside its matching washbowl and throw it across the room.

  The Elders turned to Viv.

  “Yes, we had sex,” Viv said, anger in her voice. “Lots of sex. Good sex. The I-want-more-of-it kind of sex. The three of you happy now?”

  With her back ramrod straight, Arabella placed both of her hands, palm down, on the table. “It’s not enough that we’re having to fight these Cartesians, who are becoming more numerous by the day. Yes, we have the Benders to ward them off, but this electrified canopy they supposedly set over your Originals has begun to weaken. Your own words. I have a feeling that the growth in the number of Cartesians and the weakness of our spells are directly related to your intimacy with the Benders. We must regroup, re-empower ourselves so we’re up for the struggle. This means no more intimacy with the Benders, do you understand?”

  “Yes,” Gilly said.

  Arabella ignored her. “Vivienne, Evette, do the two of you understand?”

  Evee gave her a half-hearted nod.

  “Vivienne?” Arabella said.

  “Yeah, I’m not deaf. I understand.”

  “If the two of you don’t take this seriously, we will lose this battle and probably all of the Originals. And trust me, it’s not hard to figure out that if the Cartesians plan to take out the Originals, they plan on taking you, as well. This is bigger than the six of us. Bigger than the entire clan of the Circle of Sisters. The Cartesians mean to control the entire netherworld. I can see that as clearly as I see my own hands. How any of you can think of sex at a time when so much turmoil surrounds us is beyond me. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

  Tired of the harangue, Evee finally spoke up. “I’m not ashamed. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I broke no mandate of the curse. I haven’t married Lucien, and I’m not living with him intimately.”

  “But you almost had sex with him,” Taka said. “I’m sure that counts for something. Maybe it’s just a part of the curse the first Elders didn’t clarify. Maybe that’s part of it and why things have gone so haywire.”