Sanctuary: Book One of Bloodlines

by C. L. Stevens

  Desiree sat back down hard and sighed heavily. When the reader finally spoke again, her voice sounded more normal, though still quite a bit weaker than normal.

  “What happened?” She asked again, her voice not much more than a whisper. “Did it work? Wait... are you OK child?”

  Desiree felt angry and confused and more than a bit frightened. Everything the voice told her was spinning around in her head and she found that she was having trouble keeping track of it all. It was as if the knowledge was getting garbled, like she was trying to open a template file that had an error or corrupted data. Her head was pounding.

  Despite the pain she refused to give up and forced herself to keep the memories strong. It wasn't working. Already she knew there were gaps in what she remembered so instead she tried to focus on a few things.

  Stick close to Stasha. I need to stick close to Stasha. I am already bonded. I need to find out what that really means. I am in danger. An attack is coming. I am in danger. Stasha will attack me... No wait. She rubbed her temples and groaned in pain. Stasha is my friend. I must stick close to her.

  “I should have never stepped foot in this stupid tent.” She said aloud.

  “That bad huh?' Mina asked sympathetically.

  “Worse.” She promised the older woman.

  “Don't worry. It will fade quickly. It always fades.”

  “That's what makes it so bad Mina.” She stated with tears in her eyes. Tears from both pain and frustration and a palpable sense of eminent dread deep in her chest. “I need to remember and I can't.”

  “I am sorry but it is the way of things.” Mina seemed to quote.

  Desiree refused to believe that and continued to focus on the memories but her head continued to throb. And it was growing. She closed her eyes and tried to keep at least some of the memories strong. Just as she was about to pull out her phone and use the task pad or even contacts to record some of what she heard from the voice, the pain

  became too much to bare and she collapse in a heap. She was dimly aware of Mina rushing to her aid with a stricken look on her face as darkness rolled in from all sides.

  She awoke to find 4 women’s faces hovering over her, and in seeming complete disregard for the vast differences in their features, they all managed to share nearly identical visages of open concern. Well, perhaps one was a little different, she surmised as she gazed up at them wearily. There appeared to be open and unbridled anger battling for supremacy with that look of concern on one of those faces. And of course, the fiery young lady of which it belonged had no qualms about putting voice to it.

  “You see, I told you this was a terrible idea.” Stasha admonished rather louder than was explicitly necessary. She pointed an accusing finger at the Reader and her voice grew rather menacing. In fact, it was downright hostile. Desiree would have thought her usually pleasant, almost pixie-like voice incapable of the feat. Showed how much she knew.

  “Never trust people like her. They are poison. They sew poison.” She spat. “That is all they do. I swear to you that if you harmed Desiree in any way I will promise as many years of my life to my Patron as needed to ensure that he makes you pay with your life. I hope he lets me watch as he stamps out your worthless existence.”

  Everyone turned to stare at the petite young woman as if they had never seen her before. Desiree noted that Mina’s face had turned white as a ghost. She couldn't blame her. Had anyone directed that kind of passionate ire towards her, she doubted she would have done any better, new gifts or no.

  “I’m quite fine Stasha, Really.” She promised hurriedly in an attempt to defuse the growing tension. “I think I tried to rise too fast after sitting for a long time and the room starting spinning. I must have blacked out.” She lied. “It has happened before, more than once.”

  Well at least that part was true, in a way. Stasha nodded but was still glaring at Mina with murder in her eyes. Desiree was no fool and realized there was a history behind the outburst and made a mental note to ask her friend about it when they were alone and more particularly, well away from the Reader.

  “My head still hurts though.” She added more for the Reader’s ear than the others. Stasha and Olive helped her to her feet, though she doubted she needed the assistance. She thought that her head was becoming clearer by the second. At least she hoped so.

  “A headache is understandable with such a long reading.” Mina said to her with a furtive glance towards her volatile friend. Are you really that frightened of the tiny woman? “You won't remember many details, just vague fragments. Perhaps though, during certain critical moments, you may get a feeling that something is going to happen, that something should happen. That is the best one can hope for. That is the way of the magic. One should not know too much of one’s own future.”

  “Wait.” Olive interrupted. “I remember everything about my reading.”

  “That is because the reading was short and very simple.” Mina explained. “The slightest delve into your future. But surprisingly strong nonetheless.” The Reader added almost to herself. “The one for the other young lady was… uh… different.” She finished, her voice getting lower and lower until the last word could hardly be heard. Stasha made a noise in the back of her throat that could be called nothing short of a growl.

  “What in the hell does that mean?” Stasha asked angrily.

  Desiree paused in thought. “Wait, how long was I in here.” She asked, her brow crinkled in reflection. As she hoped, the new question successfully deflected the previous.

  “It’s been well over an hour.” Stasha exclaimed at the same time Olive blurted, “Way too damn long.” Patty only nodded but she looked a little upset as well.

  “We were just about to come in to see what was taking so damned long when we heard that one call for us.” Stasha added, jerking a thumb at the Reader as if she really wanted to skewer the woman with it.

  Desiree rubbed her temples again and tried to think back. She couldn't remember a lot of what happened but she could have sworn she only talked to the voice for a few minutes. Ten at the most. But she wasn't stupid enough to doubt all three of her friends. Desiree let out a growl of her own. She wanted to remember! She tried to think back on the conversation but as soon as anything started to break through, her head began to feel as it were trying to come apart by the seams. She abruptly stopped trying as darkness once again began to encroach on her perceptions. She realized with a start that she only stopped in an effort not to worry her friends by passing out again. She did not want to be responsible for what her spirited new friend might do and just as importantly, what Mina might have to do to Stasha to defend herself. But had she been alone she would have pushed until she blacked out a hundred times to remember more. The memories seemed well out of reach yet were also oh so tantalizingly close, like the tips of her fingers brushing against a ring of keys that had fallen through a grate. If she could only push a little more...

  The Reader moved to her desk and began shuffling around behind it as she continued. Her tone and mannerisms made it sound as if she were only touching on some minor detail or two as an afterthought but Desiree knew the Reader meant the words to be of specific importance for her without coming right out and saying so.

  “They say it's best to relax and let things be. It is impossible to retain any detailed account of the reading. To try to do so only leads to discomfort and bears no fruit.”

  Oh, but I do remember some of the reading Mina. Stick closely to someone.

  She walked over to Stasha and threw her arms around her before she could move or protest, hugging her tightly. She almost laughed at the girls uncomfortable and bewildered expression.

  “Um… OK.” Stasha said uneasily as she hugged her back rather awkwardly. “I didn't mean to frighten you girl. You said you were fine. You are OK, right?”

  “I’m good, seriously.” Desiree assured her, finally pulling away. The other three women in the room were staring at them now. Olive had a single eyebrow cocked and
was eyeing the two of them knowingly. This only made Stasha more out of sorts and her light complexion did nothing to cover the red that was now blooming in her cheeks.

  “Why didn't we get such a… heartfelt reaction.” Olive asked with a smirk, gesturing back and forth between Patty and herself. “We were worried too.” She added overly sweetly.

  “I know what you are thinking and it's not like that.” Desiree stated to the instigating woman. “Uh...not that it has anything to do with you Stasha, you know I think you are cute as a button.” She quickly added to insure the blonde that there was no offense intended. “But it's not like that. It's not like that!” She felt compelled to say again as they all just continued to stare at her with quizzical expressions, even Stasha.

  Olive’s face remained unchanged and even the other three women continued to show more than a tiny bit of skepticism. Desiree threw up her hands in frustration. “It was just a hug!”

  Olive laughed. “That was an immense amount of passion for a hug. Looked like something to put 50 shades to shame.” She challenged. “I think I might have gotten a wetty from your... just a hug.”

  Patty gasped and then started laughing so hard she nearly fell over. Desiree hadn't seen so much animation from the woman since she met her. The laughter was infectious and Olive quickly took it up and the contagion spread to them one by one until they were all giggling uncontrollably. Everyone except Mina that is. She was staring at all four of them as if they had all gone insane. Of course, this only made the four young women laugh even harder.

  “Good luck with your granddaughter Madame Mina.” She stated when the levity finally abated enough that she could talk. “You will let me know how it goes?”

  Mina nodded that she would and the four girls left the tent.

  Desiree emerged from the tent in a near stupor. Her thoughts were chaotic and disjointed. She couldn't seem to concentrate too strongly on anything. She had obviously pushed harder than she should have. Trying to retrieve a memory of the last hour had been like trying to read a note that has been shredded into a thousand pieces and held out for a strong breeze to catch. However she tried to grasp for a slip of thought, the wind only gusted, pulling the chance for any recollection frustratingly out of reach. That was hard and frustrating enough but it was also as if she had a crew of construction workers alternating turns to work at her skull with a jackhammer, just to make things more interesting.

  Yeah, maybe Mina was right.

  It took several minutes of actively and intentionally not thinking of the memories in any way, which was a lot harder than it sounded, before the pain began to recede. During that time Desiree didn't participate much in the conversations of the other 3 women. Surprisingly, it was Patty who first noticed and asked her about it.

  “You seem unusually quiet.” The pot told the kettle. “Are you OK?”

  “Yes, I am fine.” She replied. “I was just thinking about something.”

  “Not that stupid reading I hope.” Stasha asked accusingly.

  “You shouldn't dwell on such things.” Patty admonished, sounding more like a concerned mother than the shy girl she had observed over the last few hours. “That old woman was correct. It is unhealthy and inevitably fruitless.”

  “No, of course not.” She assured them, waving away their concerns. “It is actually about you Stasha.” She admitted. The petite little blonde looked at her uncomfortably and then even more so at the other two women who were watching with interest.

  “It's about your outburst back there.” Desiree elaborated. “Your anger at Mina seemed a little too... personal.” She clarified.

  Her friend’s thin pink lips formed a perfect OH and then her face actually appeared as if she were even more uncomfortable at where the conversation was now headed.

  “Yes, I noticed that as well.” Patty added softly. Olive was looking at them all in confusion.

  “Did I miss something?” Olive asked tactlessly, seeming oblivious to the sudden change in the groups mood. “I thought she got all bent out of shape because of…” The voluptuous woman gestured vaguely between Desiree and the blonde as way of awkward explanation.

  Desiree rolled her eyes.

  “You two go on ahead and find the guys. We'll catch up with you all in a bit.”

  “That sounds great!” Olivia announced loudly. “You two take some time to talk.” She added, putting up imaginary quotation marks for the last word.

  Patty pulled the other girl further along the path they were headed, talking softly to her and Desiree guided an obviously reluctant Stasha off in a different direction, shaking her head all the while.

  Mina watched the tent flap for some time after the four women had made their exit. She counted to 100 and then again before she turned away and headed to the rear of the enclosure, rolling back the long sleeve of her robe as she walked. She both eagerly anticipated and completely dreaded what she would find. She steeled herself before looking at the long, shallow cut she had made to her own arm when she had first procured the girl's blood. After making the wound, she had surreptitiously applied a small amount of the girl's gift to the laceration. She gasped, the sudden flood of tears blurring the image of an injury that looked at least a day old. It wasn't much, but at the same time it was everything she had hoped. There could be no doubt. The blood was healing the cut… and so quickly! From what her grandmother had told her all those years ago she figured it would take much more time to work. Especially with such a small dose. A full day near enough in less than 2 hours! Relief flooded through her as she dug for her kit and held the precious vials to her chest protectively. She held hope in her hands. She held hope and life itself. Life and relief from suffering and death for an innocent little girl who's nearly entire existence had been nothing but misery and pain while she waited for the end. She had prayed and prayed and God had finally answered. She could barely restrain herself from running off right then and there to give her granddaughter the first dose.

  The flickering light that announced a customer had entered nearly made her drop her salvation in surprise. She swiftly tucked it safely away and hurried back to the front. At the doorway stood a tall African American boy with huge light brown eyes and sculpted features. The young man was like a model with his high cheek bones and almost feminine full lips. He smiled in greeting and Mina couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in appreciation. Where were you when I was 25?

  “Are you here for a reading young man? It will be 20 dollars.”

  “I apologize, but no mam.” Mina’s eyebrows rose again. That voice! Where were you when I was 35 even!

  “My name is Daniel. I am actually here in regard to my friends that came in a little while ago. The 4 women around my age. Well, the young woman, Desiree specifically.“

  “Is she OK?” Mina asked in alarm. “The headache hasn't become worse has it”? Mina paused and studied the young man. He doesn't know.

  “When she fell and hit her head, we were all worried. It was a sizable bump after all.” She lied.

  “Yes,” The boy said hurriedly. “Quite a bump. Did your gift work on her? Was she able to be read?”

  Mina narrowed her eyes. Now why would he ask that? “Well of course. It works on nearly everyone, save other gifted. Some stronger than others obviously.”

  “Of course, of course. And did anything out of the ordinary happen while she was here?” He asked casually. A bit too casually. “Did you notice or sense anything peculiar about the girl?”

  “No.” She replied curtly. Her eyes narrowed. “Why would you ask such a weird question? What were the names of the other women with her?” She challenged.

  The boy laughed and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Just making sure everything is OK. I better catch up with them before they get too far ahead.”

  She watched as he hurried out of the tent and thought seriously about following.

  Chapter 15

  It took her a few moments to gather the right words so Desiree walked with her friend in silen
ce for a bit before she finally spoke.

  “What happened to you Stasha? Was it really bad?” Desiree asked softly.

  “Nothing.” Anastacia replied unconvincingly. “I mean, it doesn't matter. It's not important anymore.”

  “It certainly matters to you. I saw the look in your eyes.... the anger.” Desiree stated firmly. “And if it matters to you, it matters to me.”

  Her friend looked across to her and then turned away before Desiree could read anything on her face.

  Wow. It must have been something serious indeed if she is this reluctant to speak about it. Perhaps I shouldn't push her.

  They walked for some time in silent thought, Desiree content to let Anastacia speak when she was ready. The last thing she wanted to do was push her away by being too nosy. When her friend finally did speak, the first words started her out of her own inner contemplations that had become so intense that she had forgotten that the other girl was even there.

  “Why?” The girl asked, sounding uncharacteristically timid. “Why should you give a rat's ass.”

  “Because you are my friend.” Desiree replied, somewhat surprised to hear the question. What kind of friend would not care?

  Anastacia stopped and turned to fully regard her. Desiree looked over to her friend expectantly.

  “I sense it is more than that Desiree.” The girl said softly but firmly. She opened her mouth but shut it again without speaking. She finally raised a hand tentatively to Desiree and touched one of hers. Desiree took the hand and grasped it tightly. Again, she marveled at how dainty the other woman’s hand was.

  “I think there is more you are not saying.” Anastacia began. She looked her directly in the eyes. “Desiree, do you feel something... special towards me? I mean, I can tell something's up between us. Something you are reluctant or perhaps too shy to say.”