She wanted to argue, but knew that Ruby was right. She had more experience dealing with all of this, and Allison had to trust her decisions. She rubbed Dru while turning her attention to the window. Cars passed by, filled with people who were living normal lives, happy and oblivious to the problems within Cain’s RV.
On the way to Wilburn, Ruby made a list of items that she needed. Vinnie listened to Ruby more than Allison did. She was less concerned with recipes and more concerned with fighting. By dinnertime, Ruby had constructed a comprehensive list of items they would need.
“We should just buy 3 machine guns and go in there blasting everyone,” Allison said.
“I don’t think you’re going to find a firearms dealer that has three machine guns available for purchase. They’re not illegal, but close to it. It takes a lot of time, paperwork and money to buy something like that,” Cain said.
“Fine, something semi-automatic, anything.”
“The BC has special protections. Often, when they murder, they do so by invading the victim’s home. In the past, they lost several members to gunfire. They had to do something, so they developed special charms, protections.”
“You’re saying they’re bullet proof?”
“Not bullet proof, no. They do use protective charms that sort of deflect bullets, though. If the charm was broken or weakened enough, bullets would affect them the same way they affect any other human.”
“You don’t know how to break it?”
“No. We always concentrated on strengthening our magic, never breaking it.”
It seemed like the odds were insurmountable, though Allison did try to stay positive. The rest of the day and into the next, she could feel her anxiety mounting. She found herself pacing within the small RV in spite of her efforts not to.
For the first time in her life, she was excited to see the sign that read, ‘You are now entering Kentucky.’ All she could hope for was a quick stop off in Wilburn and an easy time finding Sam. The RV stayed on the interstate for another hour before they were within a few miles of Wilburn. At this point, Ruby was driving so that she did not have to bother giving Cain directions. It was easier for Ruby to go somewhere herself than try to explain how to get there.
Once they were off the exit, they traveled through a small town and onto a gravel road that branched out from the main highway. To call it a tight squeeze would have been an understatement. Branches and bushes grazed the front and top of the RV. The winding road came to an abrupt halt, turning into a private driveway. There, in the midst of the wooded area was a clearing probably two acres wide. A simple house stood in the middle of the clearing along with two other buildings.
A woman emerged from inside the house. Allison could think of no other word to describe her than flow-ey, and she was pretty sure that wasn’t even a real word. Everything about her seemed to flow, from her long brown hair to her soft white dress. She did look like a witch or a new age spiritualist or something.
Ruby opened the door to the RV, “Everyone out.”
They all stood and began to make their way to the front.
“Is it just me or does she look like some kind of crackpot? You know; the ones who wear crystals for energy and consult the stars before making any decisions?” Allison asked Vinnie.
“We’re on our way to fight men who are trying to steal your magic by killing you. I think we all might be crackpots,” Vinnie said.
Allison laughed.
“Besides, I think she looks pretty. Well, except for those shoes,” he said, looking out the window at her feet.
“Ursula’s a good person,” Cain said, before he walked out to join her and Ruby, who were already exchanging embraces.
Ursula’s smile faded when she looked at Cain. Her reaction seemed reminiscent of how Ruby had reacted. The three of them were talking, and Allison was sure they were filling her in on recent events.
Vinnie and Allison stepped out of the RV and Ursula’s face went from grim to excited. She greeted Allison and Vinnie as if they were old friends, hugging them both. Allison half hugged back, taken by surprise at the stranger’s embrace.
“Allison, I haven’t seen you since you were a baby. You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman. And you must be Vinnie; Ruby has told me so much about you. I’m Ursula, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you,” Vinnie said.
Ursula looked back at Ruby, “Daddy will be so glad to see you and the kids. He should be back from town any minute. Now let’s go inside and see what we can find.”
The group followed Ursula who led the way to the house.
“I had a feeling something was happening,” she said over her shoulder.
Upon entering the house, Allison noticed an abundance of rooster décor. There were ceramic roosters on coffee tables, a portrait of a barn with a rooster crowing on a fence, there was even rooster border along the top of the walls.
“You sure seem to like roosters,” Allison said.
“Oh, it’s Daddy. He likes them,” she said, while leading them through a back room, down a flight of stairs and into the basement.
The basement contained no roosters, and it seemed well lit and dry. There were shelves lined with mason jars and bottles containing liquids, powders, and plant substances. There were three large tables in the middle. Against the wall was a wide bookshelf that was filled with books. There was also a lot of cooking equipment: a stove, beakers and a set of scales.
“So where’s the big iron cauldron so we can make our witches’ brew?” Allison asked.
“It had a big crack in the side, so we had to send it off to be repaired,” Ursula said.
“Okay, a sense of humor, that’s good.”
Ursula smiled.
Allison had a second thought, “You are joking, right?”
“Yes.”
“I should fill you in on the rest of the situation,” Ruby said.
Allison, Vinnie and Cain listened while Ruby told Ursula everything.
“They’re such a nasty group,” Ursula said, after Ruby finished telling her tale. “No offense, Cain.”
Allison had a feeling the ‘no offense’ part was thrown in to cause offense. She looked at Cain’s face, waiting for him to respond.
“None taken. That group, which I am not a part of, is indeed nasty.”
“Right, I keep forgetting you’re an ex-blood coven member. One who caused your wife’s death and never bothered to raise your child. That’s much more respectable.”
Allison wanted to take up for Cain, but she still agreed with Ursula on many levels. A few days inside an RV was not enough for him to earn her trust. She could not just forget his sketchy past or the sixteen years of abandonment. It did not matter how noble his reasons may have been, growing up without either parent still felt the same.
Cain had no reply and Allison remained silent. There was a sudden roar of an engine outside the basement window.
“Daddy’s home,” Ursula said.
She started up the stairs to greet her father, and everyone followed except Cain, who lingered a moment. Allison walked back to him.
“Still think Ursula’s such a good person?”
“Just because she doesn’t like me doesn’t mean that she isn’t a good person. She has every reason to dislike me. She’s not lying. I was in the BC and I wasn’t around when you were growing up. I know that was a mistake, seeing you now. I had already lost Maria. I didn’t want to lose you too.”
Allison did not think anyone could fake the regret and misery that filled his eyes. She was torn between pity and the anger that had grown her entire life. Allison did not want to be having this conversation.
“Either way, she could have kept that to herself. We have other things to focus on right now,” she said before turning away.
Allison climbed the basement stairs, Cain not far behind. There was a stout man with white hair and leathery skin. He was older, probably around Ruby’s age.
“Allison. Ruby has shown me pictures
over the years, but seeing you in person, they don’t do you justice. You and your mother were both lucky to inherit your grandmother’s good looks.”
“Thanks,” she said, at a rare loss for words.
She glanced over at Ruby, whose cheeks had more color than usual.
“I’m Walter, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Did you know that Ursula and Maria used to be best friends?”
“No, I didn’t know that,” she said, surprised.
All these people, all these facts about her family history were kept from her. It was as if she had learned more about her own past and more about her own mother in one week than she had in sixteen years. As fascinating as it all was, it was also overwhelming and frustrating.
“Oh yes, the two of them were inseparable,” Walter said.
Everyone settled into the rooster living room and Ruby began discussing the purpose of their visit. Walter’s concern was apparent, as the lines in his forehead grew more defined.
“Maybe we should go fight with you. After all, our families have been close for centuries. We can’t just let you handle this on your own,” Walter said.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Ruby said.
“She’s right. You know your health is bad, and what if I died? Who would be here to take care of you?” Ursula asked.
Allison looked at Ursula. She was beginning to think that she did not like her very much.
“Ursula’s right. We only came for supplies and a place to make some charms and potions. We need to be as prepared as possible. It was never our intention for either of you to be put into harm’s way.”
Walter shook his head, a pleading look in his eyes, though he did not say anything else.
“Why don’t you all rest up today, and we can start on the potion making first thing in the morning?” Ursula asked.
“Because we don’t have time to waste, people’s lives are at stake,” Allison said.
Ursula looked at Allison, as if appraising her, before turning back to Ruby. “She has Maria’s patience.”
“I think she may even be a little worse,” Ruby said.
“Well, let’s get started then,” Ursula said.
Chapter 12
The more they talked, the more Allison’s head hurt.
“This bramble wood should work, though it is not as strong as I would like. I am going to bring some home when we go visit the family. They grow some strong black bramble wood in the forest behind their house.”
Ruby nodded, “This should work just fine if we double up on the Ava root and let it congeal a few hours longer than normal.”
“Congeal? I’m not eating anything that has to congeal,” Allison said.
Walter laughed.
“You don’t eat it. Can you imagine how bad that would taste?” Ruby said.
“Well, by the time you add the crushed up stink beetles, pretty bad,” Vinnie said.
“How do you know that?” Allison asked.
“They just said it five minutes ago.”
“I need some air,” Allison said, before leaving to go outside.
She did not see why Vinnie was so fascinated by all of this. To her, she might as well be taking some awful combination of chemistry and cooking all spoken in Polish. She sat on the porch and shut her eyes, thinking of Sam. She must be terrified. What if something happened before they had the chance to make things right? Maybe she could see something. Allison took deep breaths, working to clear her mind.
In just a few moments, she could see Sam and Jane. They were in the woods, tied to the same tree. She scanned the area, but did not see anything familiar. There were so many wooded places in Mason Springs. Her frustration disrupted the vision, making it dissipate. Allison opened her eyes. She was not sure where they were, but at least they were still alive. That was something.
“What’s the news?” Cain asked, stepping out from behind her.
“They’re alive, somewhere in the woods.”
“You know it’ll be an ambush.”
Allison shrugged, “That’s why we have to be smart. That’s why we’re here.”
“You’re visions seem to be coming to you easier.”
“Yeah, and the nosebleeds don’t happen as often. I feel like I’m gaining control.”
“That’s good. You’re going to be amazing when you have full use of your magic. You should go back in there, though. You need to learn about potion making too.”
Allison felt a surge of anger. She still did not like Cain to tell her anything, even if it was just a simple suggestion. It did not matter if that suggestion was reasonable and for her own good. He had not earned the right to tell her anything. She kept herself from speaking; any words would be too harsh. She just stared up at the sky instead. The sky was dotted with stars and the moon was bright and full. Cain and Allison sat together in silence until a thought occurred to Allison.
“You grew up in The BC, so don’t you have powerful magical abilities too?”
Cain sighed, “None of the BC inherits natural magic, we are not gifted. Even after centuries of stealing it from others, our children, except you, are born powerless. There’s an old legend that in the beginning of time, gods walked among the Earth. They say the entire Earth was full of magic; it was in the animals, trees, water, and the forests. Everywhere you looked, there was magic. The gods lived among mankind who, in turn, coveted the god’s abilities. The gods obliged the humans and manifested certain gifts in them. This arrangement was fine until some humans with darkness in their hearts, used these abilities against other people for their own gain. The worst offenders were said to be the original members of the BC. The gods found out and not only stripped them of all powers, but they set a curse upon their offspring so that no member should ever have magic to abuse again. As time went on and humans began covering the Earth, the gods went away. Many of the humans who had been given these abilities forgot about them. They were too wrapped up in life, work and family. Their children were born and the gifts were not nourished and therefore died out or remained untapped. A few families, yours among them, continued in the old ways. These few groups bothered to remember which roots and plants held special properties. They continued practicing magic. The BC watched in envy until someone had the idea to abduct those with abilities. They tortured them, stole all their magical secrets and even learned how to steal the magic. They found a way around the god’s ban. They can practice all types of charms and spells, taken from others hundreds of years ago, but not one member has been born with magic abilities. I think that is why Jackson is so interested in you. You’re my child, yet you have incredible magic.”
Allison cringed when he said the words ‘my child’ but she ignored it, “You believe all that?”
“It is what I learned growing up, and I think it has to be at least partially founded in truth. They do gain magic by killing others. No one I know of was ever born with any natural ability. I think you were born gifted because by that time, I had already turned my back on the BC, but there’s no way to know for sure.”
“So, you don’t have any magic then?”
“Just magic that was stolen.”
“Stolen? You killed people?” Allison knew that people in The BC did that, but she never considered that Cain had murdered innocent people.
Cain looked down, “It was the way we were raised. I had to.”
“You didn’t have a brain? Couldn’t think for yourself?”
“It was our culture. You have to understand that before I met your mother, I was in line with the BC. That was my family and how I thought things were supposed to go. It wasn’t until I fell in love that things changed.”
Allison shook her head, “So, how many innocent lives did you take?”
Cain did not speak.
“How many?” she asked again.
“Two. A mother and her son.”
“You just left a poor grieving father or siblings?”
“No.
She was a single mother with no other children. She and her son both had strong natural gifts.”
She stared at Cain. He seemed to look twenty years older, his face riddled with guilt and lines that had not been visible moments before.
“How could you do that?” she asked, in a quiet voice.
“I ask myself that every day. I was doing it to impress my father, to earn my place in the family. Children have their first kill around 15, like a rite of passage. Lucky for me, after I killed the mother and son they didn’t require anything else until I turned 17. That’s when I met your mother.”
“How old was the boy?”
“I’m not sure. I think he was in his early teens.”
“So you still have their magic?”
“I did gain some of their abilities, but I never use them. It seems disrespectful to use something I stole from them. Allison, if I could change it,” his voice broke off.
She could see that his eyes were filled with tears, but she had no pity. He killed two people. Cain should cry every single day. No amount of remorse could change what he did, what Allison just realized he was capable of doing. She could not stand the sight of him any longer.
I need to go see how things are coming along in the basement,” she said, and left without another word.
Chapter 13
In the morning, the supplies and potions were all ready. The concoctions that needed time to set had been able to do so overnight.
Ursula and Ruby prepared quite a meal for breakfast. Allison had to admit that it was a nice change from canned soups, ravioli and ramen. She ate her food in silence, avoiding eye contact with Cain. Allison had nothing to say, and more than anything wanted to go home, rescue Sam, and get rid of Cain for good.
She examined Ruby and Walter. They seemed extra friendly. Allison’s grandfather passed away long before she was born and she had never known of Ruby having a boyfriend, but there did seem to be something between Walter and Ruby. Allison thought they would make a cute couple but it was odd to see her grandmother flirting. Allison and Vinnie exchanged glances and a smile slid across his face. She was sure he was just as amused by their behavior as she was.
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