Uniquely Unwelcome (The Shadow World)

by Brandy Nacole

  Danika looks shyly to her feet and then to me. “I didn’t mean it like that. Mom said you and Ethan were bickering and feared it would interfere with your true purpose. But Aunt Dagna assured her that it would not.”

  Oh. I mutter an apology and finish pumping gas. We make our way inside the store with nothing being said. Danika shut down and put distance between us after I blew up at her. I guess I can muck up that introduction as my fault. I wonder if I can blame it on Ethan somehow. He did piss me off at the last stop, not to mention his presence for the last 600 miles. That’s enough to set anyone off.

  After going to the restroom and buying something to drink, I wait for Danika and Ethan outside the store. Danika instructs me to follow her. Ethan lets me know he’s riding with her, which really doesn’t surprise me. I knew the first chance he got he would bail for a while, heck I would have too.

  We drive through the back roads of Massachusetts. The roads turn from pavement to gravel. Danika said it was about an hour drive and it’s been about forty five so I’m guessing we are close.

  Danika’s tail lights disappear around a bend as this strange feeling comes over me. A fog settles in my mind as my body tingles with numbness. I try grasping onto my thoughts to remember where I am but find nothing. I slowly edge my foot off the gas to take a better look around. Why am I on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere? The last thing I remember is being at home in Virginia.

  I bring the car to a complete stop. I have this sudden urge to turn around. Something’s not right. I put the car in reverse to back up. I almost jump out of my skin when my cell phone rings. A number flashes across the screen that I don’t recognize. Instead of answering, I put the phone down as I continue to back up. The ringing stops but immediately picks back up.

  I cautiously answer, “Hello?”

  “Racquel, it’s Danika.” The voice is stern but I don’t recognize it.

  “Who?”

  “Danika, listen we just went through the wards to the Covenant. You’re just experiencing a little magic from the wards. It makes people forget about why they were coming this way and to urge them to turn around.”

  “What? Is this some kind of joke?” My voice is shaking and I am completely freaking out.

  There is no way I would go see the Covenant on my own free will. I’m just about to hang up when I hear this Danika person scream into the phone.

  “Listen to me. If you can remember the Elders and your purpose for seeing them, the magic will wear off. Remember Addie? She’s missing. You came to the Covenant seeking answers to find her.”

  I sit there a minute trying to remember anything that might sound familiar to what she is saying. Of course I wouldn’t forget Addie. She’s all I have left. How could she be missing though? She’s safe at the Covenant with the Elders. Then I start remembering bit by bit: the accusations made toward me, the talk with Dagna, and the ride with Ethan, then meeting with Danika.

  “Okay, I think I’m okay.” I try controlling the shaking in my voice but it’s hard. My whole body is shaking and I feel cold all over. A shudder runs over me as I think about those wards erasing my memory.

  “You sure?” Danika asks sounding skeptical.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for walking me through that.” My voice is stronger, not shaky and perplexed.

  “Okay, let’s get going then.” She hangs up, without acknowledging my gratefulness. I feel my body returning to normal. The shaking has all but stopped.

  Looking up ahead, I see where Danika pulled over. I shake my head of any fogginess that might remain, then follow behind Danika once again.

  That was one experience that completely freaked me out. Not knowing where I was or why was totally scary. Those wards must be pretty powerful. Maybe I need to learn more about my powers and how to make wards like that. I could use a ward around me to make people forget how bizarre I am. Then life would be normal. Well, as normal as it could be for any being in the Shadow World.

  I see Danikas’ brake lights flare, a gate blocks her way. A man steps out beside her car, he just appears from nowhere. I wonder where in the crap he came from. I take a closer look at the brush he stepped out from. Behind the brush is a small shack that’s camouflaged by the vines that cover it.

  The man is tall and slim, not extremely slim but not bulgy either. He’s leaning in toward Danika then stands to look back at me. Pulling out a flashlight, he points its bright light in my face, temporarily blinding me. Once my vision adjusts, I see the man nod at Danika. He steps aside giving us the all clear to pass. I follow Danika as she drives on through the gate.

  The guard doesn’t stop me as I pass by. He just waves me on, a bored look on his face. He’s wearing jeans, a black shirt, combat boots, and some sort of belt with an array of weapons hanging from it.

  Once inside, I am absolutely blown away. There are rows of houses neatly placed like a suburb. But these houses are not like your average everyday suburban house. They are built like any other house but on the outside there are vines of ivy covering each house completely.

  On top of the roofs there appears to be regular shingling but on top of that is a hay and leaf blend to make the house blend with the forest. If it wasn’t for my excellent night vision, I would have never been able to see the shingles or the siding.

  In the center of all the houses is one larger house that is covered in the same manner but is extremely larger. Once I get out of the car I take a really good look around. I notice that the whole area is surrounded by some type of fencing but really it’s lame. There are real trees placed every four or five feet and there is ivy stretched from each tree.

  “It’s great isn’t it?” Danika has exited her car and is now standing beside me with a very proud smile on her face.

  “Yeah, it’s great. But the security seems kind of skittish.” Surely they have more than vines protecting them.

  Danika looks at me baffled, her brow drawn together. “What do you mean?”

  “Well take your so called security fence for instance. Those trees are too far apart to camouflage this place properly never mind the vines.”

  “Those vines are magically enhanced. If a person was to actually get through the wards that you experienced earlier, they would never make it past those vines. The person would only see an impassable thicket. If they tried to attempt to go through that thicket, they lose consciousness once they touch the vines.” I guess I have a stunned look or something on my face because Danika rushes on to reassure me. “Only for a short amount of time, it doesn’t hurt them at all. It allows us to erase any memory they might have of this location and place them in a more common location back in town.”

  “Okay.” At first I’m thinking harsh but then see the brilliance behind it. How killer is that? Magically enhanced vines and trees, not to mention the invisible wards that mess with your brain. I’m getting more intrigued by the minute.

  “Well what about the vines on the houses and the hay on the roof? What’s all that for?”

  “It’s also for blending, of course. It helps us flow with nature.” Danika has a small smile on her face like I’m missing some kind of joke. “Plus, it helps with airplanes that get too close. The more we blend the harder it is for those that are in the air to make out exactly what they’re looking at. Plus the magically enhanced hay helps as well.”

  “What? Did you seriously just say magically enhanced hay?” I don’t see why that surprises me but it does. Can you enhance anything with magic?

  Danika holds her smile as she says, “When a person flies over us, all they see is a hay field. Pretty neat huh?”

  I nod my head in agreement and continue to look around. There is very little activity going on but of course it’s late.

  Ethan finally gets out of the car and joins us. He looks tired yet nervous and a tad bit jumpy. He doesn’t say anything just stands to the side, his hands in his pockets as he observes everything around him.

  Danika turns, walking pass the cars toward the hous
es behind us. “This way.”

  Our path leads us toward the bigger house in the center. The closer we get to it, the more power I can feel radiating from it. I wonder if it’s the ivy and hay or some other source of power.

  “Where are we going?” I ask staring at the big house, suddenly feeling nervous myself.

  “There is dorm housing in the back where you and Ethan will be staying. The Elders will not be meeting with you until morning. They thought it would be better to meet after you have rested.”

  Once we get past the big house a big fire pit sits out back. In a normal neighborhood this is where a fountain might be, right in the center of everything. It is vacated at the moment but it appears as if a fire had been built earlier in the night.

  We pass many houses and end up at a longer type building with several windows. This must be the dorm house. A girl appears to be sneaking back in, although sneaking through the front door doesn’t seem so sneaky.

  “Hey Danika, are these our visitors.” Well I guess the Coven has been forewarned about our visit. I wonder how many visitors the Covenant gets.

  “Yeah, we just arrived.” Danika remarks, although she’s really ignoring the girl as she digs around in her bag.

  “Hi, I’m Fawn,” the girl says with way too much excitement. She has beautiful black hair that hangs down her back. Her eyes are a pretty blue. She has a southern accent, a heart shaped face, with a friendly smile.

  Ethan utters a ‘hey’ but keeps his head down. Weird. This is a new side of him I have never seen before: shy, nervous, and quiet. It’s kind of nice.

  “Hi Fawn, I’m Racquel.”

  “Ah, the mysterious one,” I hold back an eye roll. “I’ve heard so much about you. So what do you think about our little village here?”

  “Honestly?” I ask seriously.

  Fawn’s smile widens, “Honestly.”

  “Well, it’s not really what I expected.”

  “What did you expect?” She asks, drawing her eye brows together, frowning.

  Lord please don’t let me offend anyone here. “Well it’s kind of stereotyping but I expected to see the grass huts, like back in the day. Maybe a big black kettle pot hanging outside by the fire with a pig or something rotating on a rotisserie thingy.”

  Fawn and Danika chuckle, “What, no hay stick brooms with Witches flying around.” Fawn asks with a smile.

  “No, of course not.” I sway from side to side a bit nervous, knowing I was being ridiculous.

  Ethan just stands there, shaking his head like I’m the biggest moron in the world. Well I would like to know what he expected. Limos? Mansions? All the gold you could ever want? Jeez.

  “Well each home does have a black kettle pot, also known as a caldron, but it’s normal size to fit in a smaller fire place or on a stove. We don’t mix a bunch of pigs’ feet or chicken hearts in them. We just make herbal infusions, decoctions, and tinctures in them. I guess our houses do look like the old grass huts but with modern plumbing on the inside.” Fawn chuckles again before continuing. “But why would you think we would be roasting a pig on a rotisserie?”

  I blush; this is so stereotyping not to mention embarrassing. I’ve watched too many movies. I just shrug once again, looking away. The last Coven I visited was in Africa. They did live like that but so did the humans.

  The dorm building is three stories high, its walls covered in vines like the others. As I step closer to the building, my nose is assaulted by the smell of basil maybe thyme. Looking to my right, I see rows of plants surrounding the building.

  Danika opens the door ushering us all inside. I’ve never been in a college dorm but I have been in a hotel. The similarity between this building and a hotel is very similar, even the quiet halls. For being a dorm house that occupies newly young Witches, it’s unusually quiet.

  “So where is everyone?” I ask peering down the halls.

  “Asleep, studying, who knows? Lights out is supposed to be at midnight except for special occasions. The Elders think it’s important to let our minds relax and our inner power to unwind for a while.” Fawn looks down at her watch. I don’t know what time it is but if it’s past midnight she’s probably worried about getting caught past curfew.

  “Well, I’m this way,” Fawn points behind her, “and you’re that way. So I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  We part ways with Fawn, her going left, us going right. We continue on down the hallway with a few heads popping out here or there to get a look at the visitors. Some look curious, standing openly in their doorways, while others look scared, sticking their heads out only for a second.

  Danika stops at the end of the hall. “This is your room Racquel and your room is across the hall, Ethan. Here are your keys,” she hands us our keys, then gives us a stern look, “that you need to return before you depart. If you get hungry or need something to drink there is a kitchen down that way with a diamond window on the door. My room’s passed the front entrance with a painted sun on the door. You can’t miss it.” She gave instructions like a hotel clerk and then turned back toward her room. I wonder if she was always like this? She didn’t seem like a teenage girl, who was in college for Witches. I did notice the small smile she gave Ethan before she turned to go.

  I turn to go to my room but Ethan clears his throats loudly. “Um, don’t you think we need our bags? I know I would like to change.”

  Crap. I forgot all about my bags let alone his. I was too busy looking around, checking for threats, scoping out the security, and well just being nosy.

  “Yeah, I guess we do.” I turn, walking back down the hall to the exit. I don’t hear Ethan following me. I look back over my shoulder. Ethan’s just standing there.

  “Um, are you coming?”

  He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “Can’t you just get my bag for me?”

  “No. I’m not carrying all my stuff and your stuff too.”

  He lets out a big huff and then pushes past me. Jeez, he’s being awfully moody tonight. I wonder if the wards had an effect on him or something.

  Once we get back outside, we walk back down the path that leads around the big house. I notice a few people standing outside now. They watch us as we walk down the path like we’re naughty teenagers sneaking out late at night. I figure they’re probably thinking more along the lines of murderers or monsters.

  I try easing the tension -really the panic of being watched like this- by talking to Ethan. “So did the wards have any affect on you?”

  Ethan just shrugs his shoulders as he says, “No.” Well he’s a big conversationalist isn’t he? I try to keep the conversation going, while I keep my eyes on the path ahead.

  “I wonder why?”

  “Danika said the car and all those within it were protected from the wards. I guess it has some type of shield to ward off the wards.” Ethan mumbles so low I can barely hear him.

  “That’s so awesome.” I say with way too much enthusiasm but it’s true, wards to ward off wards. How freaking cool!

  Ethan just shrugs his shoulders, yet again, and keeps walking. I decide talking with him is just as tense as worrying about the eyes watching us, so we walk on in silence.

  Once we get our bags, we head straight back to the dorms. Halfway back, I remember that I left my phone charger in the console of the car. I tell Ethan to go on ahead while I go back to get my charger. What a surprise, all he does is shrug his shoulders. Ugh.

  On my way back to the dorm, I feel a little exposed and threatened. I didn’t feel this way before but now I am alone with people watching me like a hawk getting ready to dive for its prey. I pick up my pace in case one of them decides I’m pure evil and they must burn me at the stake to rid the world of something so evil.

  Once inside my room, I relax just a bit. My room holds a single bed pushed in one corner, a bare dresser, a night stand with a lamp, a small closet, and a full bathroom. There are no pictures on the walls. They probably leave them bare until a new resident moves in and th
ey can decorate however they want.

  I take a quick shower, not feeling comfortable being so exposed in a unfamiliar place, and put my pj’s on. No my pj’s don’t have rubber duckies or cute little bunnies on them. I prefer flannel pants with a plane white t-shirt.

  I try lying down but find myself restless. I can’t seem to shut my mind off. I lay there thinking about Addie and where she may be. Wondering what’s happening to her. Then I think about how strange my life has flipped in the past twenty four hours. It all just seems so unreal.

  I continue tossing and turning. My body should be out, my mind in a deep dark dream after such a long drive. I turn on my side, closing my eyes and lying still. I try not to think of anything at all.

  After a few minutes, I grow impatient and sling the covers back. I get up and look out my one single window and see an amazing view. The dorm is placed in the back of the cul-de-sac and very close to the security fence.

  Beyond the fence I can make out a cliff that overlooks the ocean. I hadn’t realized how close we were to the coast while we were driving up here. It seemed as though we were going into the middle of nowhere with nothing around but trees.

  My tired body is screaming at me to lie back down but my restless mind is keeping me from sleep. I decide a nice late night walk might just be the trick to calm my racing mind.

  I grab the flashlight hanging on the wall and head out. I try my window but it sealed. Unable to open it and not wanting to break it, I decide to head out into the hall to look for a close, quiet exit.

  The front entrance is the only exit I could find that was open. I question whether I should take the chance of going back out or whether I should head back to bed to toss and turn. My curiosity wins and I head out the main door. I don’t run into anyone on my way out or when I get outside.

  Once I reach the window of my room, I turn and head straight toward the moon. It was hanging right over the ocean so that makes for an easy find. I don’t have to walk far once I’m outside the ivy fence.

  I walk about fifty feet before the trees give way to the most spectacular scene ever. It’s such a beautiful night. The moon is hanging high over the ocean, casting its beautiful reflection on the water’s surface. The sound of the waves crashes beneath me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.