Hidden Magic: An Ancient Magic Novel

by Stephany Wallace

  CHAPTER 18. CAPTIVE

  BRIANA

  My head throbbed and my ears rang as I regained consciousness. I was uncomfortable and disoriented. My arms and legs hurt. My mind was going rounds not able to focus. I tried to rub my temples to relieve the pressure. It was then I realized my hands were tied. The memories returned. My eyes snapped open, had Felix kidnapped us?

  Lia!

  I tried to look for her but the room was dark. I couldn’t see passed my nose.

  “Lia, are you there? Are you ok? Are you here?” I asked willing my voice not to break. What had they done to us and why? I heard a painful moan to my right and turned my head. “Lia is that you? Are you ok?” I asked again and found no answer. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to stop the tears. It wouldn’t help us get out of here. Wherever here, was. Another moan came from her but she must have still been trying to wake up. My senses began to awake slowly. It was cold where we were. I recognized I was sitting on a chair, my feet were bound to the bottom and my arms were pulled back and tied. I tried to swing my body towards her. The chair scrapped the floor harshly creating a loud screech. I cringed both from the sound and what it had done. I doubted we would be alone for long and I had just alerted them that I was awake. I froze expecting the worse. No one came.

  “Lia. Lia, are you awake? Can you hear me?” I whispered loud enough for her to hear.

  “Mmmmm what… what happened.” Her voice was a gift to me. She was fine.

  “Open your eyes Lia. I’m to your left. We were kidnapped,” the words left my lips but I still couldn’t believe it. “Are you ok? Try to move your hands and feet. Are you tied up too?”

  “Yes I’m tied. My head is throbbing, but I’m ok,” she answered. Her voice reflected what I felt inside. Pure fear.

  “Ok, its fine. We will get out of here. We just have to…”

  The shrill sound of metal scraping rock reached me. I stopped talking. My heart raced. Who was here and what did they want with us? The light flared and I turned my face away, squinting. It was fluorescent lighting or my eyes were sensitive because of the darkness. Maybe both. I heard steps and blinked trying to clear my vision. The last thing I needed was to be blind right now. My sight slowly returned and I saw Lia. Her eyes were trying to focus on me. Cold chubby fingers grabbed my chin and snapped my head up.

  “Well, well, well. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Cassius’ voice echoed through the space. My eyes looked up.

  It was a cavern. We were in some kind of a cave. Were we in the mountains? My eyes travelled trying to figure out where they had us. The roof and walls were pure black rock. There was moisture on them and they glistened under the fluorescent lighting that hung from the roof of the cave. He squeezed my face making me whimper from the pain. My eyes turned to him.

  “Now you listen to me little girl. You are going to do exactly as I say or your little friend here will pay the price.”

  He said pushing my face away with force. My breaths came in pants. I tried to figure out what was happening. I desperately looked around and caught a painting on the wall. No. Not a painting. It was an emblem of some sort. Laurel wreaths formed a circle on it, with two swords crisscrossed in the center. They were going through the silhouette of a broken moon, piercing it. I frowned looking at the letters on swords’ hilt. BDM. My mind struggled until I noticed the Roman numbers under them. XXI. My gaze frantically looked throughout the cave and I noticed Felix and Marcus were also here. I tried not to panic as all the pieces fell together for me. The wreaths. The Roman numbers. The swords.

  Cornelli isn’t just an Italian name.

  I closed my eyes, Romans… They were Roman. Grandpa’s words resounded in my head.

  “They have spent centuries looking for us. They have raised their children to become like them, infecting their minds with righteous envy. Generations after generations filled with hate and only one thing in common. Putrid hearts.”

  “Welcome to the Brotherhood of the Dying Moon, Miss Anwell.” Cassius voice mixed with my grandfather’s.

  “They have developed technology to scan our energies and recognize us.”

  A blur of images rushed through my mind at once. The blue light on my computer monitor. The motion sensor cameras following me around at the office. The metal detector going off on me last week.

  “Do I have magic too?”

  “Yes you do, my little Bee. It lives inside you just like it does in Cynwrig.

  I took a deep breath I was beginning to hyperventilate. How was this possible?

  Cassius voice reached me a split second before his hand connected with my face.

  “I told you to look at me Bitch!”

  The force of the impact made me topple down with the chair. I cried out when I hit the floor, the weight of the chair and my body falling on top of my bound left arm.

  “No!” Lia shouted.

  “Oh my apologies, Miss Brown,” Cassius said. “I don’t want you to feel neglected.”

  Lia’s cry reached me when one of the security men pulled my chair up again. My eyes went to Lia’s she was crying and her lip was ripped from the slap. My face throbbed.

  “What the hell do you want from us?” She cried.

  “Oh you misunderstand, Miss Brown. I want absolutely nothing from you,” he stopped and looked at me. “I want everything from her. You are merely here as a bargaining tool. If she wants to keep you alive, she is going to have to do anything I ask. And I want everything.”

  My eyes widened. “No, please,” I looked at Marcus but he was smiling. Felix was silent by his Father’s side. How could they just stand there and allow this to happen? My eyes returned to Cassius. A sinister smile curved his lips.

  “Julius, come in here!” He began to play with his ring standing in front of me. “You see Miss Anwell. My brotherhood has spent hundreds of years looking for people like you. Druids,” he spat the word like it was venom on his lips. My eyes watered. “Over the years they have found a few and killed them for the danger they represented to us. To our world. We however, have made it our mission to find you for a different reason. We have used ultraviolet, electromagnetic, and infrared technology, in a way that has never been seen before. NASA would be envious of us. We can actually see the levels of Magic in your cells, Miss Anwell. And your readings are off the charts. Marcus, Victor and I grew up in the brotherhood. We inherited our ancestor’s conviction and purpose. Their determination to do whatever it took to achieve our goal. We have dedicated our lives to their cause.”

  He stopped when Julius entered the room. He had long black rubber gloves on and a black apron covered his clothes. He was pushing what looked like a medical cart with a metal tray on it. I recognized, to my horror, the instruments that he carried. I had seen my fair share of war movies to identify torture tools when I saw them. He stopped by Lia’s side and placed a chair in front of her. Her terrified cries reached me when he picked up what looked like a scalpel.

  “No, please… No.” I begged.

  Marcus chuckled and I turned to see his face. I was shocked. How could he laugh at this? Grandpa was right. They were monsters.

  “Fortunately for you, Miss Anwell. There is one big difference between our ancestors and us. One that you might find beneficial.”

  My eyes returned to Cassius. My tears began to fall.

  “Would you like to know what that is?” I nodded slowly. “We don’t want you dead,” he smiled. “We are much more intelligent than they ever were. I mean, I could kill you and I would certainly enjoy it. But ask yourself, what would I gain from that? Where is my reward for catching you after all these years? Killing you would be small minded. I want more. We want everything. We want power. We want to be able to control the elements like you do. Perform magic like you. We want to be immortal. And guess what? You are going to give us all of that.”

  I looked at him with dismay while the tears ran down my face freely. “I can’t do that. I..”

  The back of his hand co
nnected with my face again and I sobbed. His ring was permanently etched on my cheek. It throbbed. His hand gripped my face and snapped it back towards Lia’s direction. She was silently sobbing, unable to take her eyes away from the torture tools.

  “You will do it. Or she will suffer. I promise you that,” he whispered in my ear as I cried. “Now, make me immortal.”

  I looked into his eyes while my heart began to rip. “I can’t. I don’t know how.” I sobbed. “Please don’t hurt her. Please.”

  Rage transformed his features.

  “You are lying!” He slapped me again. Blood oozed from my lip and the inside of my mouth. “Your readings are higher than anything we have encountered! And they have only gotten stronger in the last couple of months. If anyone can make us immortal it is you,” he slapped the other side of my face.

  I swallowed the bitter blood and looked at Marcus.

  “Please, I beg you. I’m not who you think I am. I know nothing of magic. I may have it but I don’t know how to use it. I don’t know what to do,” I could see the pure evil in his eyes. I turned towards Felix, looking for some kind of hope. My voice broke but I forced myself to speak. “Please Felix, please. Don’t let them do this. I know you are not like them. Please,” his eyes widened looking passed me. I turned and saw the guard holding Lia, while Julius raised his scalpel.

  “No! No… let her go!” I shouted. Trying desperately to get out of the chair, I planted my feet on the floor and tried to move. My body jerked in all directions. The other guard grabbed me from behind and wrapped his arms around my chest, restraining me.

  “Please let her go, please… She has nothing to do with this… No!” I cried frantically.

  Julius placed the scalpel on her bare thigh and brought it down.

  Lia’s jarring scream filled the air.

  Followed by mine…

  “Nooo!”

  *

  CYNWRIG

  I placed the empty plates on the counter while my brother returned to Eisha’s side. Thankfully the vision had stopped but she had failed to come out of the deep sleep she was in. It had been almost three days since she fell into trance. I was deeply worried about her wellbeing. I walked back to the bed and sat by her side. I held her hand while my brother held her in his arms. He had barely slept, awaiting her return from the vision world. He had only accepted food because I forced it on him. I dare not blame him though. I would feel the same way if it were my Goddess in her place. It was torture to see a chara suffer. I could not bear to imagine how it would feel if it was Bri.

  “Can you try to wake her again, brother? Please?”

  Arts voice was sore and faint. It hurt me to say no, but it would not help her. “We cannot force her brother. It might do her more harm.”

  He nodded and kissed her forehead. In the same instant her body jerked. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped as though she had been under water, unable to breathe. Her hands grasped Art’s shirt and she began to cry uncontrollably. He held her in his arms tight. She was overwhelmed with emotions. He and I regarded each other with deep concern. Her tormented sobs tearing our hearts. She pulled away from him trying to take deep settling breaths. Her hands covered her face when another bout of sobs racked her body. I placed my hand on her arm attempting to give her comfort.

  “Be at peace a chara. You are safe,” my hand began to glow but the moment she heard my voice her eyes looked for me and she gripped my hand tightly.

  “Do not let her go. They are in danger! You must stop them,” she cried desperately.

  “I do not understand a chara. Who is in danger?”

  “You must listen to me! They will torture them. They are going to kill her friend.” Her sobs took over her body again. “They are vicious. They will kill her. She cannot go!”

  I cupped her cheeks and looked into her eyes. The magic transferred to her and she began to calm.

  “Who is in danger Eisha?”

  Her lips trembled and more tears fell.

  “Briana.”

  My heart stopped. I stood and staggered back from the bed as though her words were a whip slashing my skin. Horror filled every cell in my body and I felt fear like I had never felt before. My brother’s eyes watched me in alarm but it barely registered. I turned around and ran with the speed of lightning to my hut. I needed the blessed passage stones.

  The portal opened in her room. “Briana,” it was empty. I swung the door open and ran into the hallway. “Briana!” I did not require her answer. Her essence was missing. I could not feel her here. “Àrd-shagart! Where are you?” I shouted.

  A door opened while I ran down the stairs and I turned to see Mo meantóir standing in the hallway.

  “What is it Mo mhac? What happened?” He asked startled by my behavior.

  I ran back upstairs and held his arms looking into his eyes.

  “Where is she? Where has she gone?” I tried to keep calm while I waited for his answer but the anxiety was eating at my insides.

  He must have felt it because his eyes filled with dread. “She is not here. She traveled to Arizona for work,” I turned away from him and dragged my hands through my hair. No, No. This could not be happening. I shut my eyes tight while the emotions went through me creating a storm.

  “What is it Mo mhac?”

  I opened my eyes and I turned to face him.

  “They have her.”

  His hands covered his mouth as the kind of terror that ran through my veins poured out of him. He rested his back to the wall behind him, needing the support.

  “I will get her back,” I declared looking into his eyes while I tried to connect to her essence’s location. Turning I threw the stones in the air, and crossed the portal the second it formed. I looked at my surroundings and my anxiety grew. The room was white and sterile. Two beds stood to the right and a large window with an ample view of the mountains was at the far wall. There was no one in sight, yet the remnants of her energy was present. She had been here. I opened a door to my right. It was the washroom. It was empty. My eyes fell on the horizon, the sun was setting. I needed to find her at once. I began to look around for something that could tell me where they had been taken. I noticed her suitcase was still there, resting on its side on the corner of one of the beds. I went to pick it up and froze. There was blood on the carpet. My view expanded and I noticed there were two bloodstains a few feet from each other. The second was bigger. My heart thundered in my chest and I felt rage like I never had before. If they had touched a hair on her head, they could consider themselves dead. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes trying to calm.

  Hatred was never the answer.

  I needed to still. I tried to change my thoughts and open myself to her. To our connection. I felt her energy at a different place. It was faint but I had to try. I raised my sleeve and gazed at my forearm as the map formed.

  “Leigeil le trannsa”

  I threw the stones in the air and they opened into a parking lot. There was nothing but vacant cars and her energy was no longer here. Concentrating once more, I watched the map form and threw the stones. It opened into what appeared to be an abandoned building. I searched for her but there was no one to be found. Her energy was gone. The next portal led me to a road, the following one to a public park. I could feel the panic rushing through me. I was being derailed. Just like it had happened with Mo meantóir. I stopped. Someone was blocking her essence from me, just as Mo meantóir had blocked his. My lungs felt tight and I found I could not breathe. I held my head while my surroundings shifted. I had to find her but my mind could not process my next step in this condition. I sat on the ground, closed my eyes and called on to Tullia for help.

  “Agile ancient spirit. I give thanks for your comforting presence.

  Lend me your vision, which penetrates the darkest night.

  Beloved of our Earth Mother Goddess,

  Help me see the hidden, and delight in simplicity.

  Infuse me with your intuition, and intelligence,

/>   Old familiar, as we stalk the mysteries together.

  Silent adaptable hunter. Warrior and friend,

  I follow your lead in this dance with the invisible,

  Peering through illusion.

  Searching for truth.”

  I heard the roar of the jaguar clear and resolute in my mind. Her presence surrounded me. I was not alone. My eyes opened and focused, my mind cleared. I knew without a shadow of a doubt what I must do. I had to seek Eisha.

  I returned to the village and knocked on her door. My brother opened it and I walked inside.

  “How is she feeling brother?”

  He gazed at her. She was lying on her side on the bed. Her back was to us. She seemed asleep. His eyes returned to me, they were weary.

  “She just fell asleep a few moments ago. She was truly upset by what she saw. By not being able to wake up from it,” he stopped and let out a deep sigh.

  “We need to wake her, brother,” I said taking a step towards her. Art stopped me grabbing my arm.

  “What? Are you insane? She needs rest she was traumatized by that experience. She could barely breathe from crying so hard. She didn’t even want to tell me what it was about.”

  I looked at my brother intently. “We have to wake her brother. She’s our only hope.”

  Art’s hand fell from my arm at the gravity of my words. “What has happened brother?”

  I walked towards the bed, ignoring his question. He followed me. I sat by Eisha’s side. Leaning in, I kissed her forehead and cupped her cheek.

  “Eisha, please awake. I need you, a chara.” Her eyes fluttered and opened. They were red and swollen. My heart tightened in my chest for what I was about to ask of her. But there was no other choice.

  “I am truly sorry for what you have gone through. I hope you know that I would never ask this of you, if it were not of the upmost importance.”

  She blinked trying to clear her head from sleep and pulled herself up against the wall. “What is it a chara? Please speak.”