Fated Truth (The True Witch Saga)

by Gwartney, Tasha

  “What did you just say to me? Do you have any idea who or what I am little girl? I will suck the marrow from your bones!” Moira’s face was flushed bright red. She made to charge for me. Her fangs had dropped, and she probably meant to make good on her threat.

  I pushed my palms out in front of me and hit her with a good dose of my light. She was flung through the air head over heels and landed a good ten feet away. She twitched, but lay still for the moment.

  I heard Seb and the men out front with him run for the door. I heard the tiny voice in the back of my head guiding me once more. I waved my hand in their direction and erected a warded force field around the house. They kept trying to run and ram it with all their strength, but they just kept bouncing off. The two male Elders bared their fangs at me through the window and hissed. Obviously they didn’t like that I was going to kick the shit out of Moira.

  Moira had started to rise once more, but I was distracted by Jaxx working himself off of the wall. If he got loose then he would definitely get hurt in the cross fire. I turned to look at him. Pleading with him through my eyes to stay where he was, he got my message loud and clear and nodded in my direction right before his eyes widen.

  I felt a weight hit me from behind like a freight train. Moira had hefted herself upon my back. She yanked my head back by my hair and sank her fangs into my neck in a brutal ripping motion. The pain was so bright that my knees almost gave way. Tears were pooling in my eyes. Fuck that hurts. Time to up my game.

  I reached behind me as best I could with her gnawing at my neck and wrenched her away from me by her fiery red hair. I swung her away and turned to face her. She was rising to her feet once more. She tilted her head and looked at me like I was some new kind of bug she just discovered. She licked my blood from her lips, pulling her eyebrows together as if she was trying to puzzle something out.

  “What are you?” she hissed at me.

  “I’m born of a Goddess,” I snarked at her. I felt the ever present dark void inside me start to rise. All the power contained in my body wanted to be let free. So I let it.

  Wind started to rise and whirl around me, knocking pictures off the walls and sending furniture flying. I felt my power wash over my skin as I started to glow like moonlight was beaming through my every pore. My feet rose off the floor as if I were floating on the very air itself. My toes were barely touching the ground and I could feel my eyes start to glow. I could tell by the awed and frightened expression on Moira’s face that she wasn’t expecting my answer. Or the light show I seemed to be putting on.

  Moira dropped to her knees. She was muttering something that I couldn’t make out with the wind rushing in my ears. I pushed my way into her mind and skimmed across her memories and present thoughts. She was frightened indeed, but she was also seething with anger and rage. She was jealous and power hungry. She believed that I didn’t deserve the gifts I was born with. Moira wanted to sink her fangs deep into my neck and drink me dry while she ripped out my throat. She thought drinking me to death would empower her with some of my gifts. Disgusting parasitic bitch!

  “You have come into my brother’s home and threatened my family,” I intoned.

  Moira was shaking her head in the negative. As if I didn’t know that she wanted to kill Jessa because of her potential. It had nothing to do with her being feral. The bitch starved her to that point.

  I withdrew from her mind because her thoughts and past deeds were making me want to retch. “I know what you have to done to Jessa. Moira you have starved and beaten her until she retreated into herself, surviving on instinct alone. You wanted to kill her from the start. Jealousy is a nasty vice, one that should have been broken long ago.”

  “You know not what you speak of!” Moira screeched at me. She tried to rise to her feet once more, battling the strong currents of wind that were whipping at her.

  “I skimmed your mind Moira. You cannot lie to one such as me.”

  I waved my hand in Moira’s direction and her body went stiff. She could not move because I was controlling her like a puppeteer. I looked into her eyes and in mine she can see her own death. I had never met someone more deserving of their fate.

  “You have been judged and been found wanting, for your sin I will end your pitiful existence.” My voice echoed off the walls as I passed judgment. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

  “Who are you to judge someone as ancient as I?” Moira was still hissing and spitting. Thinking that this would end differently than it will, but her fate had been cemented.

  “I am Celios, blessed by my Mother Goddess, Hekate. I was made in her image. Put on this plane to do her bidding.”

  Moira’s eyes were now bugged in her head.

  I’d had enough of her shit by that point. Just looking at her put me in a rage. I shoved my palms outward toward her and let lose all of my pent up anger. Two beams over crackling jade lightening swarmed toward her. When they hit her in the middle of the chest it imploded inward and her skin started to burn and smoke. The stench was awful, like burning hair mixed with sulfur. I kept my power flowing outward until her body started to buckle in on itself.

  She was wailing like a banshee in a fit. Moira’s skin started to flake and ash as she was burned from the inside out. After what seemed like forever. Her screeches were silent and her remains crumbled to the floor.

  Clean up on isle ten. I turned behind me and waved my hand in Gavin and Jaxx’s direction, canceling out the stasis ward holding them immobile. Gavin was looking at me like he had just met the monster that haunted him from under the bed. Jaxx was smiling at me shaking his head as if he’d known what I was capable of all along.

  I shook my head at them. I didn’t let the shield concealing the house down yet. I didn’t want to deal with two more irate Vampire Elders. Not yet anyway. I turned back toward the front room where Jessa was still lying on the couch as if sleeping. I glided toward her as if I was dancing when I walked. I still hadn’t powered down. I wouldn’t until I dealt with the other unwanted company waiting out on the front lawn.

  Jessa wasn’t just sleeping. I could tell because she was breathing very shallowly. I didn’t know what was done to her besides what I pulled out of Moira’s head, but it had affected her in very physical ways. She didn’t look like the little brash wench I knew and loved. Seeing her like that made me want to kill Moira all over again, but before I could erect anymore retribution I needed to heal her. I just didn’t know how to heal a Vampire.

  I placed my palms on Jessa’s chest and forced a wave of healing into her rapidly depleting body. Wave after wave of my light entered her chest, but nothing changed. Her breathing didn’t even begin to get better. What was I doing wrong? I don’t know the physiology of a Vampire. Tears flooded my eyes and washed down my flushed cheeks. I wished my mother were here. She would know. Vampires might not be her children but she was the Mother Goddess. I heard gasps and knees dropping to the floor behind me before I even registered the new charge of energy in the air. I swung around ready to battle some new enemy that had slipped past my notice. What met my eyes was a most welcome surprise.

  “Be at peace my child,” Hekate said in her bell like voice. “I am here to offer my help. To guide you in healing this young one you hold so dearly to your heart.”

  Hekate was still wearing a Grecian style gown and golden sandals. Except this one was in shades of blues, greens, and browns. She was exquisite. The very essence of what a Goddess should be. I ran into her waiting arms and powered down. When she embraced me it felt like I had finally found something to fill the gaping wound deep inside me. I pulled from her and noticed that there was blood smeared on her gorgeous gown.

  “Mother you are bleeding?” I asked in disbelief.

  “No child. You are.”

  Shit. I forgot all about Moira biting me. Hekate lifted her hand and held it against my wounded neck. I felt a sharp bite of pain then warmth flowing into the wound.

  “There. All done.” Hekate smiled at
me. Then waved her hand over her gown and the smears of blood disappeared. With powers like that who needed dry cleaning?

  I looked over her shoulder and saw Jaxx and Gavin face first on the floor. Kneeling like their lives depended on it, maybe they did. “Do they need to remain kneeling?” I whispered to my mother. Not liking that Jaxx had his face plastered to the wood floor, but not knowing what to do about it.

  “Just for the time being, my light. Let us heal your friend here. Then it will be time for introductions.”

  I pulled back and smiled a smile so wide my cheeks hurt. “I’m so glad you have come.”

  “I told you that I would when you were in need.” Hekate glided over to look down at Jessa. She reached down and lightly glided her fingers down Jessa’s hollowed out cheek. “So young, she was nearly starved to death. No child this young should be tortured so.” There was a bite of anger to my mother’s words. I couldn’t agree with her more. She turned her face to look at me. “I agree that the ancient one had to die. It was past her time to walk upon this plane of existence. Some cannot withstand immortality without becoming cruel as they grow older.”

  Hekate shook her head as if Moira’s very existence was a waste. I guessed it was. Someone that old, so old that I could feel her age in my bones, could have lived a productive life, helping her kind and others instead of being the parasitic bitch that she was.

  “What can I do to help Jessa? I tried to use my healing magic. I forced an immense amount of my light into her chest. It didn’t help at all.” I shook my head with new tears forming in my eyes. I felt defeated. I couldn’t live with myself if I lost her.

  “She needs blood, my light.” Hekate once again wiped the tears from my face while giving me a gentle smile.

  “Will my blood do? Will it help her recover?” I asked urgently, getting excited at the thought of healing my best friend.

  “You are the child of my light. The blood of a Goddess runs through your veins. Of course your life essence will heal her.” Hekate pulled a small decorative golden dagger from a sheath on her belt. It was only about three inches in length, but it looked wickedly sharp. I quickly give her my left wrist palm up for her to cut. She shook her head at me, then handed me the little dagger. “Your blood must be given freely without help or artifice. Now slice in a vertical line down your wrist so that it doesn’t close too quickly.”

  I took her ordinate dagger and sliced deeply into my wrist. I winced from the sharp bite of pain. Blood rushed from the wound dripping onto the floor. I bent down and used my right hand to pull Jessa’s chin down to open her mouth. I quickly pushed my gashed wrist to her mouth, letting my life giving blood flow freely into her mouth. “I give you this gift freely my sister. Let it heal you and right the wrong that was maliciously done onto you.” I looked at Hekate for her approval and she gave me a small almost regal nod in return.

  Jessa’s body jerked as if she was coming out of deep sleep, but her eyes did not open. Her arms rose to encircle mine as her fangs ripped into my arm. I continued to let her feed off of me until I started to feel light headed from the loss of blood. I gently pried her arms from mine and removed my wrist from her mouth. I watched in astonishment as my wound knitted itself back together on its own. I looked at my mother in disbelief.

  “When I healed your neck I gave you a gift child. You will now heal as I would.” She smiled gently at me.

  “Why hasn’t she woken up yet?” I asked.

  “She is still under the stasis spell. Look child. She is healing. Her body is rejuvenating.”

  “How do I remove someone else’s spell?”

  “You don’t already know that answer? Listen to your mind, child. My book has been guiding you since it has come into your procession. It should be whispering its wisdom to you even as we speak.”

  I closed my eyes and listened intently to my subconscious. I heard the whispered words of wisdom. It was nice to know where they were coming from. For a minute there I thought I might have developed a split personality. As if the world could handle more than one of me. Ha! “Yes,” I whispered with my eyes still closed. “I can hear the tiny voice in my mind.” I looked at Hekate and saw her smiling at me like a proud parent would, that look alone, coming from my mother made my heart skip a beat. I had never experienced that look from a parental figure.

  “What was my book telling you to do? Listen to it. Follow its instructions,” Hekate instructed me.

  I closed my eyes once more and raised my palms over where Jessa was still sleeping on the sofa. I listened to the chanting, whispering voice in my head, and then started to chant along with it:

  “Those who have trespassed

  Are welcome no more.

  Release this child from her slumber.

  Let her rise and see the light.

  Let her soul resume to burning bright.

  Let her lungs welcome the breath of life.

  Let her eyes open to no more strife.

  Remove the hold you have on this being.

  Retract your claws.

  Or feel my eternal sting.”

  During the chant I was fueling it with all the power I could muster inside myself. I could feel the spell start to lift like a rubber band stretching then finally breaking free. I opened my eyes and saw that Jessa’s color had finally returned to normal and she was breathing regularly again, but she remained sleeping. “Why has she not woken?” I asked my mother.

  “She will wake when her body has fully healed. Now that you have removed the stasis spell she should waken with the rise of the moon. Her kind are more powerful then.” Hekate turned to look behind her where my brother and lover were still kneeling.

  “Can we please allow them to get up now mother?” I laughed slightly and tried to hide it. I mean what are you supposed to do? A Goddess for a mother, people are meant to bow in her presence, but I was just not used to it.

  “Yes, my light. It is time for introductions. Let us leave this youngling to her rest.” We strolled side by side over to where Gavin and Jaxx were frozen on the floor. “Children, you may rise and address your Goddess,” my mother said in an imperial voice. This was so going to take a while to get used to. How did you go from being a bowing and scraping worshiper, to being the daughter of a Goddess?

  “You are transitioning quite well my daughter,” she whispered to me in an aside. Shit! She can read my mind as well. Hmm. Not like I can sensor every thought, best not to think about it.

  “Do I let the other Vampire Elders in?” I asked looking out the front window where Seb and the other two men were angrily pacing the front lawn.

  “Not just yet.” She turned to Jaxx first and held out her hand which he took and bowed lowly over. “It is good to meet my daughter’s soul mate in the flesh.”

  Ha! Jaxx’s ears just turned pink. I didn’t think anything could make that man blush.

  “Your destined suits you, my daughter. He is strong of heart and soul. He will be steadfast and supportive.”

  I grinned at Jaxx. “I love him very much, Mother. He is special to me. He is more than just my soul mate. I would have chosen him regardless of the Fates matching us together.” I joined Jaxx and wrapped my arms around his waist and nuzzled my face into his chest.

  Hekate was approaching my brother and he looked a little freaked by her. He bowed lowly in a show of respect but seemed to be struck mute.

  “It is okay child. I’m not here to harm you. You are womb mate of my little light. That makes you precious to me also.” She pulled Gavin into a hug and his shoulders began to shake. “I will be a mother to you also. Know that you are loved my child.”

  Gavin collapsed in on himself sobbing silently.

  I looked at Jaxx with wide eyes, not knowing what to do.

  “Just let him get it out. He hasn’t been shown much in the way of affection in his short life.”

  “Sometimes I forget how old you are. Cradle robber.” I slapped his chest with the back of my hand and laughed.

  “Bu
t you love me. Don’t you, little raven?” he asked with a grin.

  “More than moonlight,” I said with solemn eyes. I turned back to my mother and Gavin and saw that he had gotten himself together. Hekate had seated herself daintily in a green club chair and Gavin was sitting at her feet while she idly ran her fingers through his hair. If I didn’t already love my mother, I would love her right then for showing my brother that small kindness.

  “It is time to let in the Vampires that are waiting outside.” Hekate looked up at me when she spoke.

  I waved my hand and the force field surrounding the house disappeared. Within moments the front door was sent crashing into the wall and three irate immortal males came flashing in. Seb stopped in his tracks at the sight of my mother sitting in the room. He immediately dropped to his knees and stayed there eyes prone on the floor.

  The other two hadn’t noticed her presence. She must have muted her power before they made their entrance. They were facing me where I stood, looking at me like they would love to follow through with Moira’s threats. They were both tall. Well over sex feet in height with dark hair and muddy brown eyes. Their faces were nondescript and neither was handsome nor overly attractive. They were clearly twins. Their looks were nearly identical.

  “Who are you to kill one of our ancients? Some youngling drunk on power!”

  I didn’t get a chance to respond because my mother decided this was the moment to make herself known.

  “Who you are speaking to is my daughter, daughter of my blood, daughter of my light. You will show respect to your betters or I will cull you where you stand.”

  “We are ancient Elders of an ancient and noble race. My name was Odar and this is my brother Adar. Who are you to speak to us thus?”

  Power unlike anything I had ever seen spilled through the room like a tidal wave. It took all of my stubborn will to remain on my feet. If I wasn’t clinging to Jaxx I would have been mowed over. As it was, we were both holding each other up. The two Vampire Elders finally realized their mistake. They might not know who exactly they’d just insulted, but they obviously know when they were out matched and out classed.