Cora (Of Earth or Erda)

by Skye, Relina

  "Thanks, that's good to know."

  Rubbing my face once more, I started to shake. The memory of my first Beltane left a sick feeling in my stomach and more questions in my brain than I had answers. What happened next? How long ago was that? Did my coven ever recover?

  My hand settled on my stomach. Was I a mother? It should probably have been the first question to pop into my mind, but it wasn't. It came as an afterthought. If I were a mother, I probably would have felt some inkling indicating that possibility. But it wasn't there. I felt nothing.

  The image of my partner lying unconscious after I blasted him with my powers moved to the front of my thoughts. A familiar scar burned into the side of his face. Swift. Fucking Officer Swift! The same douche that attempted to steal my powers was my first mate! I should have killed him.

  Bile filled my mouth. I bet that other Officer Swift was there too.

  From what I could sense, my depleted magic reserves must have left me open to falling victim to a pretty powerful spell that knocked me out for at least a couple of hours. One that I could only guess was meant to keep me passed out long enough for Swift to find me. Good thing people fall asleep on the train all the time.

  Slowing down, the train approached the station.

  I adjusted my purse on my shoulder before rising as the train came to a halt.

  Several other people stood, as well. None of them caught my attention, but there was one man scanning the faces of those who were getting off the train.

  An iridescent scar zigzagged the side of his face before disappearing once more. Swift. My mental guards locked into place before he could aim his gaze on me. When did he get on the train?

  Recognizing that piercing green stare of his, I did my best to ignore him. His facial features and clothing weren't the same as earlier. That meant he, too, was using a masking spell.

  It was too late to go out the other exit, so I kept walking like I didn't have a care in the world. We were in my coven's territory. Surely, he wouldn't try to pull anything there; not while everyone was probably eating breakfast and having their morning coffee.

  On the platform, the hazy blush of dawn filled me with the warmth of the rising sun.

  Making my way down the steps toward the parking lot, I retrieved my locator stone and waited for the train to pull away before attempting to reactivate it. Warm to the touch, I knew my quest was finally coming to an end. Did I accomplish my goals? I didn't know. There had to be a spell or potion to safely restore my memories.

  Once I finished walking through the town and was on the road heading to where the stone pointed me, I felt the masking spell begin to wear off.

  As my body returned to normal, it left me breathless. Aches and pains from recent stress and strain started to catch up to me. Mental note: never go on a quest again without locating a vehicle to use afterwards. Even a broom would have been welcome at this point. Well, that is if they were legal to fly. But they weren’t.

  "CORA!" a high-pitched voice yelled above the sound of an engine. A car slowed down as it started to pass me. Tires screeched, bringing the SUV into my line of sight. Leaning out of the window was the wild mane of mousy ringlets framing a somewhat familiar face. "CORA KING! You had me worried sick!" Her large, rich brown eyes widened.

  Cora? Cora King? That's my name? My gut and ears agreed it sounded right.

  "I didn't think..."

  "No, you didn't. When will you learn that even though you're the High Priestess, you have to put everyone else before yourself?" The girl shook her head.

  Rounding the car, I checked my instincts about the girl. Was she really my sister? That felt right. Perhaps she was a half sibling. At least, that's what I managed to conclude from the dream I had earlier in the day.

  When I opened the passenger side door, she continued to read me the riot act. "Next time you have a vision, at least leave a note telling us when you'll be back. That way, we won't think the worst. In fact, make sure you bring someone with you to ensure your continued safety. The last thing we need right now is to lose another High Priestess." Looking me over, her brows knitted together. "Why is your magic depleted?"

  Her eyes turned into a milky white before she gasped. "A masking spell! A locator spell and several others you created on your own. Cora, what did you get yourself into? The Silver Chalice is still weak. We don't need to draw attention to ourselves."

  "Sorry, Mom," I muttered while I buckled my seatbelt.

  She closed her eyes once more. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't say anything. I'm sure you have your reasons. Or at least, the goddess inspired you to act without thinking about the rest of us." Refocusing on the road, she pulled away from the shoulder. "Do you want me to drive you to your car, or would you rather I just drive us home?"

  "Home's good," I said before chewing on my lip. "If I tell you something, it stays between the two of us."

  "You know you can tell me anything. Blood is blood and I'll never betray you."

  "Then you won't mind swearing on your blood to keep this to yourself?"

  "A blood oath? Damn, this must be bad. Yes, I'll swear on my blood and mix it with yours to seal the promise.” She pulled the SUV over once more. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a pocket ritual knife. Pressing it to her thumb, a bead of blood formed.

  I did the same, and pressed my thumb to hers. "Repeat after me. I promise."

  "I promise..."

  "To never repeat anything we discuss today with anyone else."

  "To never repeat anything we discuss today with anyone else."

  Once our blood smeared together on our thumbs, the sliced skin neatly knitted itself together.

  "Now spill it," she ordered.

  "My memory is gone."

  "What do you mean, your memory is gone? Are you saying you have amnesia or some bullshit like that?"

  "Yeah. I am. I didn't even know my name until you said it. Plus, there's more." I proceeded to tell her about everything that happened over the last twenty-four hours. At least, what I could recall after hitting my head on the ferry. I didn't even know why I was on the seagoing transport to begin with.

  "The worse part is that I asked you to take a blood oath because I don't know if I can trust you."

  "Ouch. Wow... that's a lot to process. Don't worry, Cora. I'll help you get through this. It will be hard when we first get to the compound, but as the High Priestess, you're kind of a loner anyway. I think the main reason you picked me to be your assistant was because we're sisters. We spent many a night growing up moaning about the bitches we had to deal with on a daily basis."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah. Granted, we fought a lot as kids, but it wasn't until after my first Beltane that we bonded. Neither one of us has been blessed by the fertility goddess… yet." She shrugged. "But at least with you in power, neither one of us will be forced to couple with an asshole. I truly believe you’re the first High Priestess to take the feelings of the coven members into account when determining pairings. No one else has ever done interviews, or had their members fill out questionnaires. Heck, you even keep the powerless old bats around to watch the toddlers, and do about a hundred other tasks no one has time to do anymore."

  Warmth spread across my chest, causing my soul to ache. "Thank you. I needed that."

  "I know. I'm also an empath." She winked. "By the way, I know you're too proud to ask. My name's Kacie King. Mom is Claudia Ray. The last High Priestess allowed her to marry William Ray from the Silver Isles Coven. Their bloodlines are compatible enough to have resulted in three more offspring. We haven't seen or heard from her since she left four years ago, that was the night after my first Beltane."

  Wow, four years, I thought. Perhaps we didn't have a good relationship with our own mother, or it was traditional to give former coven members their space. Either way, I felt the need to find out more.

  "Then how do you know she had three more kids?” I asked.

  "They were announced on their coven's website. Besides Darla Jane,
her cousin, is Witch-Book friends with her. Every so often, her feed pops up on my wall."

  "Is she happy?"

  "I think so."

  "Good. Are we able to look at other covens’ Witch-Book pages?"

  "Depends on if they're allies with us, or allies with our allies. The National High Council has been working toward creating a United Arcane Nation where alliances between covens are dissolved and everyone is friendly with each other. That's why they created Witch-Book. It's a nice thought, but it's never going to happen."

  Nodding, I took in a deep breath before letting it out. "Then I'm going to ask you to request that Darla Jane help me set up an account if I don't already have one. I want to get Swift and his brothers’ pictures out there for everyone in the coven to view. These bastards attacked us during a time of celebration; we must make sure they don't do it again."

  Chapter Six

  We drove for at least another half hour before pulling through a wrought-iron gate depicting the three phases of the moon in its center. A large, decorative plaque at the side read “Moon-Brook Educational Center.” On the opposite side stood a community mailbox system with more boxes than I could count at a glance.

  "Welcome home." Kacie gave me a half-smile. "Just so you know, the 'Educational Center' part of that sign is more for the sake of the locals. Otherwise, they'll start rumors about us being a cult, or some Minotaur shit."

  Punching a number into the small box just outside her window, the gates swung inward all on their own.

  Boy, was I grateful Kacie came along when she did; otherwise, it would have taken me the rest of the day to reach the property. Never mind the main complex. The driveway alone was a half-mile long.

  "Moon-Brook consists of five main buildings. The original house has several additions that were required as our numbers grew. Just inside the foyer, you'll have access to an auditorium, a library, ballroom, dining hall, and a conference room. Guest quarters for VIP visitors are on the second and third floors. Our elderly mainly reside on the fourth floor, and your council has their suites and offices on the fifth floor. We live up on the sixth floor."

  A massive, Colonial-style manor with neoclassical details appeared at the top of the hill.

  "The other four buildings are the dormitories, school, and the carriage house. We're completely isolated up here. There are woods, a large lake, and farmland that enable us to be self-sufficient. Hardly anyone ever leaves the grounds, outside of visiting Moon-Vale and Moon-Wood, our sister households."

  It was a lot to take in, but the information was easy to digest. It indicated that even though my personal memories were missing, the general knowledge ones were still completely intact.

  Kacie left her SUV in an underground parking garage that was accessed through a brick carriage house.

  Exiting the vehicle, I was assaulted by a handsome, black cat. His meows echoed through the structure until I gathered him up in my arms and nuzzled his forehead with mine.

  He wasn’t my familiar, but it wasn’t uncommon for them to cuddle with other witches and wizards, especially those they respected.

  “Let’s get you inside.” Kacie gave me an encouraging smile. We had a plan: Kacie would do most of the talking while parading me past some of the coven members. That was so they knew I was back safe and sound. “If it is all right with you, I’m going to send out two of the Tyros to collect your SUV from the train station.”

  I gave her a slight nod. “Tyros?” My eyes widened. “First years? Twenty-one-year-olds?”

  “Yes, that’s right. See? You’re starting to remember stuff already. You’ll be back to your witchy self before Beltane.”

  I could only hope, right? Beltane was less than a month away. “That would be great. Thank you.” Chewing on my lip, I worried that the Tyros could run into Swift. But I doubted he would actually do anything to them, especially during the daytime. “Just tell them to keep their eyes open and their cell phones on them at all times.”

  Kacie placed her hand on my arm. “You said that guy stayed on the train. The first years will be fine. I’ll send Winston and Sierra. They have empathic abilities and can sense if someone wishes them harm.”

  “Good.” The cat meowed in my arms. I gave him another nuzzle with my forehead.

  We exited the underground garage into a basement recreation room and sports bar. Several witches and wizards were playing pool while a few others were eating their breakfasts at the bar.

  Kacie stopped by the bar to ask the witch who was mixing potions to tell the kitchen to send my breakfast up to my suite.

  As we crossed the room to enter the elevator, one of the witches playing pool waved for us to stop.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” the younger woman gasped. “Several Silver Isles arrived about an hour ago.”

  “Did they say why they were visiting?” I asked.

  “They said you knew they were coming.” Her brow rose about an inch.

  Kacie pulled out her phone. Scrolling through her planner, she stopped on today. “Nope. There is nothing on the schedule.”

  “Perhaps they sent me an e-mail?” I suggested. I wanted to also say if that were the case, I must have forgotten to tell her they were coming.

  “Oh, and just so you know, but you didn’t hear it from me,” the young woman whispered, “your mother’s with them.”

  “That explains it.” Kacie rolled her eyes. “Mom’s the one who said we knew they were coming?”

  “Yeah.” The girl’s light brown eyes shifted from my sister to me.

  “Who’s dealing with them?” I asked.

  “Donald. He’s with them in the dining hall.”

  “Thank you for letting us know,” I told her with a tone that suggested her task was done and she could go back to whatever she was previously doing. My gut told me that, at least for the moment, I didn’t have to worry about the visitors.

  “No problem.” Turning, she jogged back to her game.

  Once we were in the elevator, Kacie pressed the button for the sixth floor. But as soon as we started to move, she flicked the switch, shutting the elevator down. “I’ll deal with the Silver Isles on your behalf once I find out why they’re here. You’ll make an appearance at dinner to appease their curiosity.”

  “Yes, Mom,” I teased.

  Rolling her eyes, she flicked the elevator back on. “Four years, and now she decides to join their delegation. What do you think she wants?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  With a chime, we reached the sixth floor. Entering a small foyer, the room widened into an open concept living room, dining room, and fancy kitchen. A large, silver cauldron sat on a center island with hungry blue flames licking its sides.

  “There are my girls,” a shrill soprano came from the direction of the bedrooms.

  I may not have retained any memories of her, but my gut cringed. Placing the cat on the ground, I scratched its head one last time before turning to face the woman who gave me life. “Mother, you look beautiful. Have you lost weight?”

  “Why, Cora, you’re laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you?” She went straight to Kacie.

  Giving her a hug and a kiss, a ping of jealousy registered in my mind. Mother and daughter were similar in appearance. Both had the same soft, brown hair and triangular jaw line. Even their eye color and body type were the same.

  “Is your sister treating you well? She isn’t working you too hard, is she?” Her eyes trailed up and down my sister’s body as if she expected to find her beaten and broken.

  “No, Mom.” Kacie clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. “I’m happy to assist Cora. If she were just an elemental Watchman, I would still be changing diapers in the nursery.”

  “You're a teacher. That is a noble profession. We need good education practitioners to make sure our coven stays strong for years to come,” she affectionately gushed.

  Feeling like an intruder in their conversation, I turned my attention toward the cauldro
n. “What are you brewing?”

  “Oh, just my face cream. You really should use a moisturizer. You’re starting to get crow’s feet.”

  “No, she’s not,” Kacie awkwardly laughed.

  “You’re too nice to her,” my mother scolded Kacie. “Now, my tea leaves revealed one of you was in trouble. So, I convinced the Mother to send a small delegation here to discuss plans for Beltane as an excuse for me to come and help you. Now tell me, what have you gotten yourselves into?”

  Exchanging looks with my sister, I decided it was best to come clean. I told our mother everything that happened since yesterday without forcing her to take a blood oath. Really, it wasn't worth the energy it took to justify my concern since she was already adamantly “Team Kacie.”

  “I see. I doubt you’ll be able to hide your weakness from the rest of the coven for more than a day or two. No matter. Mother will save your ass once again.” She skirted around the island to pick up a well-worn, leather-bound book. “You’ll just have to undergo a memory spell.”

  “Shouldn’t we make sure there aren’t any other types of magic at work first? Maybe she tripped some sort of magical booby trap set up by the local coven in case of intruders,” Kacie suggested as she sat on a stool.

  “I knew there was a reason why you’re my favorite.” Our mother lovingly tapped Kacie’s cheek with the back of her hand.

  “What about your babies?” I glanced toward the only visible hall. “Are they napping?”

  Mother raised her brow, giving me the stink eye. “They’re not all babies. Only Malcolm is a baby. Tomas is a toddler and Clyde acts like a little adult. You’d know that if you Skyped me once in a while. But no, you’re too busy for the woman who brought you into this world. No matter.” She flipped through her book.

  “Are they here?” I asked. Somehow, I was unfazed by her hurtful demeanor. Perhaps I was subconsciously accustomed to her callous remarks, or maybe my skin was thicker than most people’s; right now, I didn’t know. Had I wanted to, I could have brought up the fact that I wouldn’t know anything about my half-brothers since my memory was compromised.