The First Circle

by Paul Perea

  Gabriella heard the shot and Helena’s screams and realized she was screaming, too. The things that had abducted her were frightening. They sneered and groaned as they threw her to the ground, standing guard and waiting for their master.

  Recovering herself, Gabriella did as she was taught and called upon the five-pointed star. She did this over and over until she was wrapped in protective pentagrams as the wraiths stood around her in confusion. Now was the time to strike. She moved her arms to her sides and dispersed the pentacles, sending the discs slicing through her attackers.

  “Impressive!”

  Salazar rose from the water like Poseidon himself, his blue eyes luminous and his silver hair shining in the light of the full moon.

  Gabriella steadied herself as she looked at Salazar. She remembered him. It was indeed the same spirit who visited her when she was a child. The ghost who told her stories and fairy tales. The man who lied to her and told her to call him “grandpa”. It all came flooding back as she watched him move through the air toward her, powerful and deadly.

  “Gabriella! It’s been so long since we’ve had the pleasure of each other’s company. My, but you have grown! Do you remember me, mija? Do you still love me? Do you still want me to take care of you?”

  “Don’t come any closer,” Gabriella demanded, afraid and unsure.

  Salazar laughed and continued to move toward her until he touched down on the hard-packed sand.

  “It felt good, didn’t it? To kill those monsters. The light cannot exist without the darkness. Sometimes we must do what must be done, even if that includes killing. Ah, but I think you know that all too well, don’t you?”

  “What do you mean?” Gabriella asked. She had expected a fight, not a conversation, and it was unsettling hearing his voice again as it penetrated her soul and pried open her mind.

  “I am referring to your mother and father, my killer witch. Remember? When you were a child, asking me to kill your father? Imagine how proud I was when you took care of him yourself. Calling up the ice storm, crushing him in that contraption—even I did not expect that you would do that! Too bad your mother was in the car with him.”

  “It was a dream! A nightmare!” Gabriella cried. “I didn’t do it!”

  Salazar laughed. “Ah, but you did, and in quite an ingenious manner. The Queen of Snow. A murderess with blades of ice at her disposal. And now you come to this place to kill me. Perhaps you should rethink your objective. Instead of killing me, perhaps you should join me.

  “Know this, my precious girl. I am the dragon. I sit at His right hand, a weapon ready to conquer the world. His world. Come, take my hand and step into the darkness with me and together we will emerge into the light, a god and his goddess.”

  He’s trying to possess my mind! Gabriella could feel his power, the strength of his control as he tried to lull her into submission.

  “I asked your grandmother to join me but she declined, then she fortified my prison. She paid for that slight, believe me, and I enjoyed crushing her. It was so easy—so many blood vessels in the brain. I have you to thank, my dear girl, for had it not been for your little indiscretion, the bonds Mirabella placed on me would have kept me from settling that score. Thank the gods, your father was right. You are a whore.”

  “Shut up, God damn you!” Gabriella cried out as she tried to keep his attack at bay.

  Salazar continued to taunt her, all the while slowly moving closer and wrenching her mind open. “I would have settled for your Aunt Salome but she is too much like Adam’s first wife. Lilith preferred to be on top, dominant, and that would never do for Adam. He could not abide it and neither can I.”

  Salazar laughed, taking note of Gabriella wavering under his pressure. “Now here you are, all grown up. Your breasts swell with milk and your hips have become round like a real woman. Do you really want to test me, or would you rather join me? Think carefully and understand—if you defy me, I will show you no mercy. I am giving you a chance to live. Now, I ask again. Will you stand at my side or no?”

  “Go to hell!” Gabriella cursed as she pushed back with her mind, taking pleasure in the power coursing through her.

  “Come now, girl. I’m not so bad, am I? Let me show you what a real man is like. I’m much better than that inexperienced boy. He was like a dog, slobbering and humping, racing to the end instead of enjoying the ride.

  “If you join me, we will rid the earth of the human disease. The meek shall inherit the earth, those gentle inhabitants of the shadows. And you, you will sit at my feet to serve only me.”

  Ignoring his attempt to divert her attention, Gabriella focused, summoning clouds and wind with a single thought. Suddenly and swiftly, a funnel cloud sped toward the ground like a sharp finger, capturing Salazar in the vortex and sending him into the sky.

  “I’ll never serve you, you monster!” Gabriella shouted as she commanded lightning to ignite the tornado, along with its occupant.

  Salazar screamed out in pain, but before he lost control, he called out to his demons.

  “Kill her! Rip her apart!”

  Salazar’s wraiths rose from the cold, dark water and rushed toward Gabriella. They took her by surprise and pulled her to the ground, effectively ending her tornadic assault as Salazar descended. Sure she was disabled, Salazar strode towards her quickly, ready to do her in.

  Gabriella closed her eyes and called out to the nearby trees, “Impale my enemies!”

  The forest responded as trees sent their roots up through the ground, staking her captors and rendering them harmless puddles of water. She scrambled away on her elbows and buttocks but there was no time to get to her feet. Salazar was almost upon her. Gabriella looked up at him and imagined his head between her hands, just as she had imagined her father so long ago. And like her father, she witnessed the pain in Salazar’s eyes.

  Salazar felt his skull being crushed and he cried out. He reached up and pulled at his head as he fell to his knees. Through bleary eyes he watched as Gabriella stood up and came toward him. Her eyes were dark and determined and she wore a slight smile.

  It feels good to her! The power . . . the power to destroy! She is too strong and I have been weakened. But I can feed on her power—I must let it strengthen me, he thought as he tumbled onto his side. He allowed the onslaught and absorbed the energy. It revitalized him and he rose to his feet as he pushed back with his mind, sending Gabriella flying though the air.

  Gabriella landed on the ground, dazed, the air knocked out of her. She had not counted on Salazar siphoning her energy and now she struggled to catch her breath. Before she could react, he was upon her, pinning her to the ground and cursing her.

  “Stupid girl! Did you really think that it would be that easy? Even your grandmother fought better than this! You think that you possess the power to kill me? You have already failed! It isn’t you that I need. I have the two things that will provide me the power to escape my shackles. Now, I will ask you one more time, and based on your answer, you will either live or die. Will you join me, or no? Will you be my Gabriella? My witch?”

  “Never!” Gabriella spat, still struggling beneath the weight of the man.

  “Well then, you have served your purpose. I will kill you once and for all!”

  Salazar closed his grip around her throat and held her fast to the ground, his legs straddling her, his weight too much for her to move, and his power crushing her spirit.

  “Die, you damned little whore!”

  Shocked by the familiar voice, Gabriella looked up at Salazar, but it was the face of her father she saw. She clawed at his hands, unable to break his vice-like grip.

  “You let me down, mija. You let that boy between your legs. You’re just like your mother! A puta!”

  “No! Stop it!” Gabriella choked on her words and shut her eyes, not wishing to see the vision of her father’s face before her. She
could feel Salazar’s thumbs pressing into her throat as she kicked and fought to stay conscious.

  “Come on Gabi, let’s go swimming.”

  Gabriella heard Daniel’s voice and opened her eyes. Through her tears she saw her father’s face replaced by that of Daniel’s, his hips moving and thrusting into her.

  “Let’s do it again. You know you liked it. Come on baby, I promise I won’t leave you this time. I love you, Gabi.”

  She heard his words and felt the grip on her throat loosen. One hand remained on her neck and the other was raised, a dagger poised high and glimmering in the moonlight. Panic rose in her heart as the sound of crying filled the air. She twisted and turned and saw two ghastly wraiths holding Martine and Blanca.

  How could this be? What are they doing here? Oh my God, are Grace and Sam dead?

  Gabriella felt his hand pressing harder on her neck while the other was ready to strike. Her mind was drifting toward unconsciousness when she felt something else pressing into her throat. The rosary beads!

  With every ounce of concentration still in her, Gabriella used the power of the rosary and disappeared as Salazar’s blade hit the hard ground. Salazar fell face first as Gabriella reappeared behind the two demons that held her children captive. She called out to the trees, and once more they came swiftly to her aid. Branches coiled around the wraiths, breaking their necks, as others caught and cradled the infants in their wooden arms, saving them from falling to the ground.

  She knew in an instant what she must do. She must save her children. She must finish Salazar. There was no time for hugs or kisses. She quickly removed the rosary beads from around her neck and huddled Blanca and Martine close together.

  Gabriella draped the beads around the children and uttered an incantation. “Depart the first circle, safe and sound. Into the world, safely found!”

  Gabriella knew that this act would seal her fate. Her children would be sent back to their world, and she—she would be trapped.

  “NO!” Salazar bellowed as he looked up to see the children vanish, and along with them, his only chance for freedom and power.

  Looking through the portal, Gabriella saw Helena still kneeling at the edge of the woods, stunned by fear as the children appeared in front of her.

  Gabriella screamed to Helena, “Help them, Helena! Get my children to safety! For God’s sake, Helena, RUN!”

  Gabriella’s plea echoed throughout the bosque. Shaken from her stupor, Helena gathered the children close to her and fumbled to pick them up. In her haste to scoop up the children, she broke the chain that held the rosary together, sending the beads flying in all directions, the silver crucifix buried under the heel of her shoe. Her hands were shaking and she was trembling all over as she turned to see a man with silver hair and rows of sharp teeth grab Gabriella from behind, his hand in her hair as he pulled her toward the river.

  The last thing Helena saw before the portal closed was a single white arm, Gabriella’s hand, grasping and searching for something that wasn’t there, and then slipping under the water. Helena held the screaming children tight in her arms and ran away from the bosque as fast as she could, not stopping until she had reached the car she left by the side of the road.

  The water engulfed Gabriella as Salazar held her tight and cursed at her with rage. This was her opportunity. Gabriella began to chant the incantation, and as she did so, the beings that surrounded them in the water moved closer, attracted to the light emanating from Gabriella. She shimmered like the goddess in the moon and the spirits of the water surrounded her, attracted to her warmth and vitality. Gabriella paid them no mind as she worked the spell and prepared to deliver the final blow.

  Salazar did not see Gabriella reach down and pull the white-handled athame from the strap beneath her dress. He held onto her and focused on crushing her very soul. He pushed his mind into hers and filled her thoughts with punishing visions of death and decay, of her own children bloated and drowned. He placed lies in her head and prepared to drive her mad with his terrible spell.

  “You wanted that man so much, you killed your own children, bruja! You brought them to the river and you held them under the water. You drowned them so you could leave this place to be with your lover. Now you will suffer for it! Witch! You will be locked here forever, with me, searching for your children’s souls, weeping for them, trying to find them so that God may grant forgiveness to your soul. You are damned—a hateful witch, killer of children!”

  His plot undermined, Salazar was determined to instill as much pain and suffering as he could. Then he would hold her prisoner, torturing her until another chance at freedom appeared. His machinations fueled his rage. So intent was he, so blind with the ambition to drive Gabriella mad, he failed to notice the athame.

  Gabriella was close to forgetting her intention as Salazar’s spell took root. She thought of her children. Are they dead? Are they drowned?

  She shook those thoughts from her head and with all her might she summoned the strength to plunge the blade into Salazar’s heart. His screams were horrific as Gabriella floated free from his grip, carried away by the spirits that had remained close during the struggle.

  The spell was loosed from the blade and permeated Salazar’s body and soul. He gripped and pulled at the blade’s handle, but to no avail; it would not budge. The handle broke off, leaving the sharp blade deep within his body. He looked at the handle and he could make out the carving in the leather. The writing was familiar to him. The magic inscribed there was recognizable and the source was undeniable.

  Mother.

  A word, a name for something almost foreign to him came into his head, and for a moment he saw her face. His mother. Mancha.

  He felt his life force diminish as he let the handle slip from his hands. He watched it bob and float away. A long slender cylindrical vial slipped from the hollow handle, glowing green and pulsing with energy. He recognized it and tried to reach for it but the current delivered it into a delicate hand. He strained to see and for a brief moment caught sight of her, her dark hair swirling around her face, before she disappeared into the murkiness.

  Salazar lifted his eyes in search of her, in hope of salvation. There was no one. No light, no sound. He closed his eyes as his soul drifted into the darkness.

  CHAPTER 45

  Raven flew as fast as he could until he reached the mountain peak. He saw them standing there, the three, watching his approach. Even from his great vantage he could see the tears in their eyes. They knew.

  “She did it, Mancha,” Raven proclaimed as he landed on the ground before them. “Salazar is no more and the children are with Helena.”

  “We know what happened,” Mancha answered with sadness in her voice. “We watched, just as we have always done.”

  “And what of Gabriella’s body?” Raven asked.

  Mancha looked down at Raven and simply shook her head. There was nothing she could say that could convey the sorrow within her heart. She stared past him, out over the expanse of wilderness. She could not see the Rio Grande as it snaked its way through the valley. She was glad she could not see it. Mancha had no desire to see the place where her friend, the girl she had come to love as a daughter, died.

  “Why didn’t she save herself along with the children?” Magdalena asked. “We instructed her—we told her what to do! She could have transported herself along with them!”

  “Because she was selfless,” Maria answered and wept bitterly. “Damn us all! We should have known she would do this. We knew she felt responsible for what happened to Mirabella and Ruth. I’m afraid Gabriella believed that she did not deserve to live.”

  Mancha turned and addressed Raven. “This is the end of our friendship, great Raven.”

  “What are you saying?” Raven asked, bewildered by the statement.

  “It is time for my sisters and I to depart this world. You see, into that weapon of d
eath we imparted most of our magic. All we have left will carry us into the light. May the gods have mercy on our souls.”

  Raven cocked his head from side to side and studied Maria and Magdalena’s faces. In them, he saw that Mancha spoke the truth.

  “My friend, would you please do one more thing?” Mancha asked. “Please go to Grace and see to it that the children are delivered into her hands. See to it that they are safe.”

  Without a word, the raven took flight and headed toward Arroyo, his eyes glistening with sadness and his heart heavy with duty.

  “This unholy task required many a sacrifice,” Mancha whispered. “Gabriella gave up her life and now we do the same. It’s time to leave this world, sisters. This loss was too much to bear!”

  Maria and Magdalena moved close and stood by her side.

  “Mancha, you knew this might come to pass,” Magdalena said in a weak effort to provide comfort. “You knew Gabriella’s fate if she failed.”

  “Yes, Magda, I know. I guess I just held on to hope that our power could protect her—and save her. I had planned it all so carefully. This was not to have been the outcome!”

  “Mancha, Gabriella did what she had to do,” Magdalena offered. “Had she not stayed to finish him off, we would be worse off than ever!”

  “And what of your son? Poor Mancha, you have lost two children today,” Maria said weeping.

  “I mourned the loss of my son long ago, Maria. That thing that Gabriella killed was not my son. My son died a long time ago, longer than any of us should remember. If anything, Gabriella has released his soul. It is doubtful he will find forgiveness in the next world.”