“We’re not going to hurt you. Please, come out.” Motioning to the others to follow, I take a few steps back.
“I’m a powerful witch,” the being says.
A pulse of electricity shoots through my brain, and I double over. The pain subsides, and I take a deep breath. “We believe you. We mean you no harm. Our travels take us south. You’re not being hunted.”
“How can I trust you?” the being asks.
“We’ll be on our way. But we can offer you refuge if you need a safe place.”
“You mean you will enslave me.”
“No. We’ve heard about the trials in Salem. Are you running from the humans?”
“I’m not scared of humans. All of the women accused and hanged were innocent, including my mother.”
“But you’re a witch?”
“Yes, but she wasn’t. My father was. He died before we came to the New World. She was a healer. Those girls went crazy, probably from a poison.”
“We’ve been keeping an eye on witches in the area for years. Why are you here in the forest all alone?”
“The others fled long ago. My mother didn’t want me to leave, so I stayed. But now she’s gone.”
“Come out, join us. We promise you’ll be safe.” I creep towards the being and peer into its makeshift cave.
It parts the vines and crawls out. The being, a male, stands erect, a foot higher than me. Dirt covers his face and clothes, and the skin of his cheeks hangs from his bones as if he hasn’t eaten in weeks.
“You look hungry.” I swing my bag around and find the berries.
He snatches them and pops them into his mouth. I hold out my water flask, and he gulps down the liquid. His eyes dart to Elizabeth and then Jacob and Will. “You’re very kind.”
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Orm.”
I offer my hand in greeting. “I’m Anne.”
He takes it and closes his eyes, but they pop open the next second. “Glory be. Anne of Scotts?”
I furrow my brow. “You know of me?”
“You must’ve known that was a possibility when you let me touch you. You offered your hand to show I could trust you. But yes, we’d heard of you in the old country. Rumors spread about a vampire priestess seeking peace. Most thought it myth.”
“Well, Orm, it’s nice to meet you. These are my comrades: Elizabeth, Jacob, and Will.”
Each of them waves in greeting but don’t offer their hands.
“Please join us. We have a compound in the Carolinas.”
“You mean a tribe?”
I laugh at him. “Yes, but it’s a civilized plantation.”
“She even married a human and adopted a human child so that we could retain our settlement.” Jacob tosses a rock between his hands as if bored with the interaction.
Orm’s eyes narrow and land on me. “But the first rule?”
“You’re going to judge us?” Will puffs out his chest, showing the full extent of his brawn.
“No, no judgment.” Orm shakes his head.
“How old are you? Was the woman in Salem really your mother?” I inquire.
Orm straightens his back. “She was my father’s wife. I’m four hundred and some odd years old. My mother was also human. She died many years before my father remarried.”
“Finally, someone who knows something.” Elizabeth speaks for the first time.
“I know a bit.” Orm smiles, exposing browning teeth.
“You look as if you could use a home. Please, join us. I promise you’ll come to no harm.”
“I know.” Orm looks to the sky and back at me. “I guess your offer is better than any I’ve had today.”
I chuckle. “What others have offered you refuge?”
“Well, the wolf wanted me in his stomach.”
I dig in my bag and produce a handful of dried deer meat. “You’ll excuse our food preferences.”
“Beggars can’t be choosers.” He takes the meat and begins to chew it.
Slinging my pack onto my back, I motion the group to resume our journey.
“I’m not walking human pace all the way back home,” Will huffs.
“Carry him, then,” I suggest.
“I’m not being carried by a vampire,” Orm objects.
“Do you want to join us or not?” I stand, hand to hip.
Will folds his pack into a sling and lifts Orm to his back, and we resume our traveling pace. The trip takes longer with a human, but we make the journey in five days. As our tribe senses the witch, they greet us at the border.
“Aye, you’ve brought us a witch. Good thinking.” Gregor approaches me. “Guess you didn’t want to marry another human, eh? I hope he has decent powers. Not so sure he’s going to be with us much longer though. He looks to be in pretty bad shape.”
“Ahhh, we fatten him up, and then we’ll have witch stew.” John laughs and cheers go up.
“Silence.” I yell over the noise. “We’ll convene in an hour in the great hall.”
“I guess she is the priestess after all,” Orm whispers under his breath.
“I’m new too,” I hear Elizabeth tell him.
“I prefer Queen, and I will show you to your quarters and get you something to eat.”
John briefs me as we make our way along the dirt path to the main house.
“If I may.” Orm approaches as John finishes.
“If you have such a large tribe, won’t you draw unwanted attention?”
“From whom?”
“Michael’s line.”
“What do you know of them?”
“They lead the witches. We believe they’re behind planting the seed of witchcraft in Salem.” Orm details how his family and the others who settled in Salem wanted out of the politics of the Old World. They theorized that Michael’s line, led by a witch named Sonia, wanted them extinguished.
“Sonia?” I stop short.
“You know her?”
“She murdered all my delegates at the first tribunal I held.”
“Then you know her power.”
“So, you think this Sonia’s reach spreads to the New World.”
“I know it does. It’s hard to understand how I know, but trust that my intuition is never wrong.”
“How long ago did you sense them?”
“Sixteen forty-seven, when the first trial took place. They don’t remain here. The idea only needs to be planted to cause us to scatter.”
“How many of the original—excuse me, real—Salem witches are still alive? I’m sorry.”—I stop mid-step.— “Do you prefer the term witch or warlock?”
“Witch, please.” Orm’s shoulders shudder. “A warlock is altogether another being, evil to the core, like Sonia’s son, Thanatos. But, I have no idea what happened to the others from Salem.”
“Were you one coven?”
“No, we remained in separate covens, which is why I can’t sense them.”
I lead Orm and Elizabeth up to the second floor, showing Orm the room next to mine that used to be Emmett’s. I give Elizabeth the room on the opposite side of me and leave her to unpack. Next, I speed through my bath and zip to the kitchen to prepare Orm a meal.
“You’re investing a lot in this witch.” Will finds me popping rolls into the oven.
“He knew of Sonia and Thanatos and believes they’re behind the witch trials.”
“Why would they expose their own people? Are you sure of him? What if he’s a spy? Exactly the opposite of who he says he is. What if he’s with Sonia?”
“Did you smell anything off about him these past five days? Sense any hesitation? Heart rate increase?”
“I didn’t.”
“And neither did Jacob or Elizabeth. Orm said the witches that settled in Massachusetts wanted out of the old country’s political system run by Sonia and her line. He may be able to help us make peace with the witch population.”
Will takes my hand and bows low. “And this, my lady, is why you’re my Queen.”
>
I knock on Orm’s door and lay his plate beside it. Judging by the noise drafting up from the first level, I guess we have a full house.
Elizabeth joins me in the hall. “That sounds like a robust group.”
“I’m glad you’re here. I take her hand.”
She cups her fingers around my cheek. “It’s amazing to see the woman you’ve become.”
Orm’s door opens, and he eyes the plate.
“I made some human food for you,” I tell him.
“Anything will be fine. Thank you.” He lifts the plate, steps back into his room, and closes the door.
“Will your tribe accept him?” Elizabeth asks.
“I’m not sure. Will wonders if he’s a spy. What do you think?”
“What does your gut tell you?”
“That he’s being honest. But, I don’t know what witches are capable of, what his powers are. I’ve heard some can affect your feelings. What if he’s being true, that he wants nothing to do with the old-world hierarchy, then he could be of use to us.”
Growing impatient, I rap on his door. I hear his sock-padded footsteps on the wood floor, and he opens the door. “I’m sorry to hurry you, but my people grow impatient downstairs.”
“That’s okay. I just finished the meal.” He turns and lifts the empty plate from his desk. “Thank you.”
“You look much better.”
“Your hospitality is much appreciated.” He follows me down the hall. “What can I expect in this meeting?”
“Just be honest.” I start down the stairs.
The crowd falls silent as we weave between the bodies to the fireplace. I jump to the tabletop and offer my hand to Orm. “This is Orm. He’s a witch we found starving in the forest. He fled Salem, where his mother was unjustly hanged for witchcraft.”
“I’m confused. His mother wasn’t a witch?” a voice calls out.
“We only need be sired by one witch and initiated into a coven to become a witch,” Orm answers him.
“So, you have the powers of a regular witch?”
“All witches have different powers, and some are stronger than others, but yes, once initiated, we are full witches.”
Conversations break out through the group, and I call for order. I entertain each question, and Orm answers. Since many in the tribe lived in remote areas, few are familiar with witches. I glance at Jacob, who rolls his eyes as if he were bored.
“How do we know you’re who you say you are?” Will challenges.
“I guess you don’t. I must earn your trust. I’m not sure how though.” Orm’s eyes find mine.
Gregor jumps to the tabletop beside me. “We have the crystals. I say if he agrees to wear a crystal and never take it off, never do magic unless allowed by us, then he can stay. We can assign a watch to him like we do our borders. He should never be left unattended, even when we believe him to be asleep. If we also wear crystals, we will be impervious to his magic.”
Shouts of agreement go up, and I turn to Orm. “Is this acceptable? Do you want to stay with us on these conditions?”
“Do I have a choice? What will become of me if I say I wish to leave?”
My eyes drop. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe we could let you go, knowing what you know of us.”
“I will lose my magic if I do not practice it.”
Jacob climbs to his side. “We could all do for some sparring with a witch. We want to be prepared if we meet up with the likes of Sonia again. What say you, tribe?”
Battle cries ring through the room, and I pat Orm’s back. “Welcome, friend.”
“I’m not sure whether to rejoice or be afraid that you’ve chosen to spare my life.” His eyes dart around the room.
I wink at him. “Most of the time we don’t bite.”
Our metal smiths work through the night to produce settings of the crystals we brought back from Mexico that can be hung from leather strings. Orm’s necklace holds a piece of crystal as large as his thumb. By the time the sun rises, all on the plantation own a crystal piece, and extras are formed for the sentinels to acquire as they return.
“You must be exhausted,” I say to Orm as we make our way to the main house.
Orm nods. “It’s been a long night.”
“Sleep as long as you need. I will watch until you wake.”
“You do not trust the others?”
“No, I trust them completely. But all are tired, and my warriors need rest more than I do.”
We enter the main structure and start up the stairs. When we reach his room, Orm hesitates. “I believe our paths were fated to cross. I had several dreams during my fitful sleeps in the forest of a vampire and two warriors.”
“That’s curious. What else did you dream?”
“It’s all jumbled. I shall need rest to sort it all out. And perhaps a pen and paper when I wake.”
As soon as Orm finishes the morning meal, I begin to question him. “You don’t believe the vampire in your dream was me?” I struggle to comprehend his words. “But you said you dreamed about a vampire and two warriors for weeks before we found you. Did you have another dream about the vampire last night?”
“I did not.” Orm shakes his head. “But I was very tired. The female vampire I kept seeing had red hair and two others were female and male. The female vampire held a gold dagger in her hand. A winged serpent-like dragon rose out of a fissure in the earth before them. Each time the dream ended with that scene.”
“Dragons aren’t real.” Will shrugs his shoulders and stands. “I have fantasies of battles and witches and such when I rest. They could just be dreams.”
“But I had two warriors with me in the woods when we found you.”
Orm rubs the rock hanging from his neck. “I won’t have visions while wearing this crystal.”
“So, now you’re saying the dreams were visions?” I pace the room.
“Perhaps, or maybe they were just fascinations to occupy my mind while my body wasted away.” Orm stands and stretches. “I should like a walk and then some sparring time.” He looks to Jacob and then Will.
“I shall join you too. I haven’t trained since before our journey.” I grab a broomstick from the closet.
“Are you forgetting the incessant punches you and Will were trading all the way up to New England?” Jacob looks between Will and me, rolls his eyes, and backs out the door.
Will, Jacob, and I give Elizabeth and Orm a tour of the property, pointing out the borders.
“I won’t remember this. If you insist that I not stray from your boundaries, you’re going to have to mark them,” Orm admits.
“I forget, you do not smell as well as we do.” I make a mental note to come up with some barrier markers.
“Nor do I have a memory like you. We witches must write things down to remember them all our years. Think of me as a human with special powers. Physically, I’m human.”
Having walked ahead, Jacob spins to face us. “But you have long life spans, like us.”
Orm nods. “Because we’re part angel.”
“Part angel?” Will chuckles. “You want us to believe all that witch-Bible-heritage stuff. Next you’re going to tell us you believe that rubbish about us being sired by some demonic devilish creature.”
“The Devil was actually an angel that fell out of favor with God. He sought to be as powerful as God and was stripped of his soul and forbidden to enter the Kingdom of Heaven ever again. So, he created his own Kingdom, the Abyss, or Hell, as the humans call it.”
“That’s superstition and myth created by you beings to explain why you think your race is better than ours,” Jacob grumbles.
“It’s true. Many of us believe we’re given certain rights as children of God. But we’re just as cursed as you are. While you’re soulless and lives end with your physical body’s death, our souls pass to Sheol forever.”
“What’s Sheol?” I ask.
“It’s what the humans call purgatory. Except witch souls may never escape.”
“Haven’t we walked enough? I’m ready for some fighting.” Will smacks one fist into the other palm.
I head in the direction of the main building. “But Orm, we don’t feel we’re cursed. We’re grateful for our long lives and thank Mother Earth for all our days.”
“You have adopted positive spiritual principles. Not all of your race believe as you do. Many of them feel damned, like cursed soulless beings, and behave as such. Surely you have run across tribes of wild, lawless vampires with no regard for life?” Orm asks.
I nod. “It’s interesting that you give that reason for their behavior. I would say they do value their own lives.”
“Are you surprised the spiritual being looks at everything through that bias?” Jacob asks and shoots ahead of us.
Orm raises his index finger. “But doesn’t every animal have a survival instinct? These vampires are like the beast of the land because they do not believe their lives mean anything beyond the present. They know their place in the universe.”
I shake my head. “It’s their tradition, how they have lived for centuries. It doesn’t have anything to do with being soulless. We have no proof souls exist.”
“Some of our kind, like Sonia, draw power from dead ancestors. It would be foolish to disregard what you do not know or understand.”
I pepper Orm with questions of Sonia and the witch lines. While he can retell what he knows of his own coven, he admits he knows little of others.
“Too bad you can’t channel any dead witch souls, because I’m ready for a good fight.” Will launches himself to the porch.
“I’ve got enough power to give you enough exercise. May I?” Orm lifts the crystal from his chest.
We wait as Jacob and Gregor finish sparring. I hold out my hand to receive Orm’s necklace. Will jumps on his toes. Orm points to the broom, and it flies across the room. Will catches it in his palm. Snapping the bristles from the shaft, he tosses it to Orm. He holds it in his palm, and the handle begins to spin. Swirling through the air, it hops between us. We jump and roll to dodge the makeshift weapon.
Quick as a flash, Will launches the stick at Orm. Orm straightens his arm, and the stick freezes an inch from his hand.
“You’re fast too,” Will notes.
As they spar, the others line the room and watch from the windows. Jacob pushes Will out of the way and takes a turn, as do Gregor and John. I keep my eyes trained on Orm, watching for strain. As John heaves the broomstick at him, Orm drops to the floor, and the shaft sails over his head.
Kingdom of the Damned: Provocation (KIngdom Journals) Page 23