by Diane Nortje
I place the knife between my teeth and press the cut open. I push my index finger inside the incision and pull out a tiny crystal from my flesh. I hold my bloody hand out to Tray, who gives me his hand and I place the tiny crystal in his hand.
“What the fuck are you doing, do you want us dead?” He grinds out at me. He is pissed.
“Just don’t fucking lose them.” Is all I say back to him. He will soon see what I’m doing.
I take the cloth from him and wipe away the blood and then place the cream on the cut, it closes instantly. Joys of magic, I guess. I repeat the same process on my right side of my hip and again on the left and right side of my chest just above my boobs. Every time placing the tiny crystals in Trays hand for safe keeping. I pull the rest of my one piece up my body and push my arms through. He doesn’t seem phased that his hand is full of tiny crystals which are covered in blood. He seems more worried about Jacin finding out there is blood all over him. My blood.
The last one is always a bitch, but it’s the most important one of the lot. I grab the knife again and open my mouth. I stick my tongue out and make a small incision underneath my tongue, one wrong placing and my mouth will full up so quickly with my blood, but I’ve done this so many times to count I no longer look in a mirror to get the crystal out.
I watch the men look on in horror at what I’m doing, they don’t understand, they probably think I’m just some poor weak light witch that got thrown into this stupid prophecy shit. I’m not weak, I appear weak, I appear normal, normal is not frowned upon, normal is not exiled.
I won’t be taking out the others I have left hidden in my body, just these five seem to do the work. My power is released, but not to the point that I lose control, unless shit happens, and I need my power to do the job. Let’s just hope all goes to plan.
I squeeze the last crystal out and place it in Trays hand. I don’t need a cloth for this one, I simply spit out the blood that has gathered in my mouth. I must just remember to clean it up on my way out.
“Don’t lose those, they are a bitch to find and I can’t go without them.”
“What the hell are they for?” Tray asks me, while looking down at them.
“I’m not as weak as I seem to everyone, they control the amount of power I project. It keeps me normal, it keeps me sane.” I say to them while putting on my gloves and shoving my knife in its place on my one piece.
“Does Jacin know?” Tray asks me.
“No, he doesn’t, and let’s try keep it that way, shall we?” I say back while looking up at the window I must get up to, to get inside the building.
“He knows, he is coming for you, must hurry.” The shadows whisper to me. Shit. That was quicker than I was hoping for.
“Shit, hurry, he knows, he is coming. Get me up there.” I say to them while scrambling into my place.
I watch as the men start climbing on one another’s backs. Once Tray is on top of Bus, I start my climb up them. I’m not sure how Lynx is holding up all these guys, so I try my best to make it up them as fast as possible. Once I reach Tray, I climb onto his shoulders and he stands so I can reach the tiny window. I place the glass cutter on my finger and trace the line of the window, cutting it out completely while placing my other hand on the glass which has another invention of mine on it, which holds the glass like a suction.
Once I’ve done cutting the glass, I gently remove the glass and hand it down to Tray who is waiting for the glass. I remove the suction and glass cutter and hand them down to Tray. Once my hands are free, I grip the window and hoist myself up and through the window. I’m in.
~Jacin~
They have a death wish by looking at Natalie like that. Looking at a female that is sitting beside me, I should have ripped their heads from their shoulders, but she isn’t marked yet, only a few knows she is mine, and the rest can’t smell it on her. The beast doesn’t like that, he wants the world to know, but I can’t do that to her, once maybe when all this mess is sorted, I will give her the choice. But it is going against all my instincts by not claiming her as mine.
I lead them to my office at the one end of the lounge, it must be important to disrupt me in public, so I try get my temper under control. Even though I rule, I can’t trust anyone with the knowledge of what is going on, not even these two fuckers, who will be lucky to see the sun rise tomorrow morning.
“Sire, again, we would like to apologies, we should have known better, we didn’t smell you on her.” Dane says to me. He doesn’t back down this time. I don’t know whether to be impressed or not.
“What do the two of you want?” I ask them, not bothering to acknowledge their apology.
“You asked us to report back on your mother, sire. She has been doing strange things lately.” Dane says again, his partner in crime Devan not much of the talker.
“Like what?” I ask impatiently.
“The other day she went and bought a phone.” He says to me. Is he fucking kidding me right now?
“So, what? Maybe she broke her last one.”
“Sire, she has never owned a phone since that type of communication between humans began. She also frequented a supermarket, at random, it almost threw us off her path, she went in and came out ten minutes later with nothing. We also noticed.” Dane says again, shifting on his feet and not finishing his sentence.
“What Dane? What the fuck else did you notice?” I say to him impatiently
“The woman sitting beside you, she came out two minutes before. Your mother was still in the supermarket, so we hadn’t moved yet.”
I don’t know what to say back, this could all just be a coincidence. But I highly doubt it. What the fuck is mother dearest up too.
“Thank you, Dane, Devan. Go back and resume your duties please. I will have a word with my mother.”
I lead them back out of my office towards the lounge where they break off and go on their own way. I continue my path towards Natalie, but notice Dax is pacing the length of the floor and Weyland is watching the dance floor like he has lost something down there. Natalie is gone, along with her Five.
“Where the fuck is she?” I ask Dax, who stops pacing to look at me.
“Jace, I think we need to discuss something with you.”
I don’t say anything, I just look at him like he must continue, where the fuck did she go this time?
“After you went to your office, she got up, took Trays hand and disappeared. You don’t think the spell has worn off on him, do you?” Dax asks me, I’m not sure where he is going with this.
“Why are you questioning the spell, they know why it’s put on them before they come to this world? Why the fuck are you worried about it wearing off?”
“She took his hand, as if she had done it many times before, he is always around her. Feelings can start to develop, some might be stronger than the spell you put on them.” Dax says to me nervously, scratching his back like he has some sort of itch.
“Where the fuck is she?” I shout this time, fuck this shit, I will fucking claim her irrelevant of her fucking feelings towards Tray.
“I’ve got a pin on their location, they have stopped moving around now. They haven’t moved again in the last two minutes.” Weyland says to me while turning from the dance floor. He is pissed. Welcome to the fucking club.
“Show me.” I grind out to Weyland. He better get his fucking puppies on a leash before I do it for him.
~ ~ ~
I step out of the shadows and the five stray dogs go stiff. I don’t see Natalie anywhere, but I can smell her. I can smell her blood. There’s not a lot of it, but its strong enough to know she has been bleeding here. And yet I still don’t see her.
I walk up to them, with Dax and Weyland beside me and take in where they are. They are outside the library. For fuck sakes, can’t this woman just do as she is told. I only want to keep her safe and she goes against me at every fucking turn. And clearly, she has this lot wrapped around her fingers as well.
I stop in front of Tra
y. The lot of them still have some self-preservation left in them not to look me in the eyes. They keep their eyes own down cast.
“Kneel.” I shout at them, and in unison they go down on one knee. At least they can still follow orders, but clearly, they have forgotten who is boss.
I notice Tray keeps his one hand behind his back, the smell of her blood is coming from him. “Tray, your hand.” I say to him.
He brings forth his hand, which is covered in Natalie’s blood and opens it. I can’t quite make out what is in it. Whatever is in it, its small and hidden by the puddle of blood in his palm.
“Where is she?” I ask them, not bothering as to who answers, as long as I get an answer.
“Inside, sire.” Lynx says to me, still keeping his eye downcast.
“Tell me something, have you lot forgotten who is boss, or are you just bored and have a death wish. Do you men want a round in the pit?” I grind out to them.
They all tense when I mention the pit, no one that enters comes out of there alive.
“No sire, we are just protecting her, like you instructed.” Haven says to me.
“Really now? Well she is inside, and you fuckers are outside, with me.” I say all to calmly.
They shift nervously, they are hiding something.
“And you.” I glare at Tray. “Are you getting nice and fucking cozy with her?” I grind out while grabbing his hand he still has outstretched.
“Sire?” He sounds confused, ah so it’s not that, they can’t fucking lie to me or Weyland, but they can distort the truth or leave some of it out. My grip on Trays hand tightens, when I feel something prick my hand.
I yank his hand closer to mine to inspect what is in her blood. I move the blood about with my fingers and notice tiny little crystals inside her blood.
“Now where the fuck was these?” I ask Tray.
“She cut them out of her body, Sire.” Tray says back to me.
“She cut them from her body?” I ask him again, just to clarify. These inside a body, only means one thing. She is hiding something.
“Yes sire. She says she is not as weak as she seems, they help control her power.” Trays clarifies for me.
“I know what they do, looks like I will be having a little chat with the little witch very soon.” I say to Tray, while holding out my hand so he can place the tiny crystals in it. And now we wait for her to return.
~Natalie~
I slide my body in as smoothly as possible through the window, trying not to disturb the glass that I didn’t cut. I know Jacin is hot on my heels now, so I better make this quick unless I want him to bring in his guys before I even get a chance at looking at the prophecy.
I let go on the window and drop as silently as possible onto the bookshelves that line the walls in the library. It’s dark, but I can still make out a path I need to take to hopefully get where I need to be. It smells old and damp, where something has been laying waste in a puddle of dirty water. It shouldn’t smell like this here. I thought the room would be bussing with magical power, keeping it clean, keeping the books intact, but it’s not, its leaving a funny taste in my mouth that I can’t quite place. But one thing is for sure, something is off, something is not right.
I scan the library from where I landed, from here I have a good vantage point of the entire library. I sense no movement, I can just make out the shadows of the bookshelves that make up the library. The moonlight coming through the windows of the library grace me with some light, but enough to keep myself covered in the darkness if need be.
I can’t waste any more time looking into the darkness, when I know Jacin is most likely outside. The one saving grace is that I know he can’t get in without leaving a trace. Unlike me. My magic is undetectable, another reason the coven wanted me gone. They couldn’t control my magic.
I slide down the end of the bookshelf and land silently on the floor. I pause. I feel nothing, I see nothing, I sense nothing. Something is here. Nothing is this quiet, nothing. There is always a small vibration, insect, wave of magic coming in from somewhere. It makes us feel less alone. But here is quiet, unearthly quiet. Whatever is here, the magic doesn’t even want its presence known.
I move silently down the path of the bookshelves, stopping every few steps to listen, to feel. Nothing. Not even magic. I push forward, whatever is here, is watching me. I can’t tell where, but I know. She knows, and she wants to come out to play, and she might just get her wish, I will need her for this.
From my research and my mother’s constant moaning about the coven and Faith, I know this library is divided up by elements. Water, fire, earth and air. Then sectioned off into smaller sections based on its use. I’m looking for information in the water section. A book on water myths won’t have anything other than information, it shouldn’t have spells and potions in it. Then again, this book is just a cover up.
I make my way through the bookshelves to the section I’m looking for. I still feel nothing. Everything is unearthly still. I know I’m in for a world of trouble if I don’t hurry the hell up. I grab my small flashlight that is strapped to my one thigh and click the button. And nothing. This blasted thing can’t be dead, I know, I checked everything when I was packing. Then it occurs to me. There isn’t even the hum of an aircon or fan working. There is no electric pulse running through the building. There is nothing. Everything is dead. What the hell is here.
I get the same feeling as I did that night in the car. I’ve learnt to trust my instincts, I let them guide me, and I’ve never gone wrong. So, I won’t stop now. The feeling doesn’t go away as I make my way to the section I’m looking for, I look back, I look around and still nothing. I look to the other side of the library and my eyes are drawn to the one small section in the corner which the moonlight has illuminated. Nothing good can come from shit that is illuminated by moonlight. I’ve clearly watched to many horror movies in my day.
I decide to follow my instincts, I move silently to the other side of the library, checking down every row, I know something is here, I just don’t know what. Once I make it to the bookshelf, I quickly scan my eyes over the titles of the books. Why did I need to come here? My eyes pass the title, some I already know, some I’ve never heard of. Demonology, Lilith, Guardians of the Gate and Beyond, the Book of Black, and so the titles keep coming, but my eyes are drawn back to one. The Guardians of the Gate and Beyond.
I look back around me, nothing has popped up to attack me yet, so I return my attention back to the book. I quickly open it and start to scan through the book. It’s the same old same old. I’ve read the stories, I’ve read what guards the gates. I’ve always wondered if these people have the first-hand knowledge of this stuff or did they just glamourize stories people have heard.
I keep paging through the book. There must be something here I’m supposed to know. So, I keep going, scanning the pages, until I get to the underworld, and that’s where my interest picks up. I feel my hands start to sweat as I look at the monster before me. I’ve seen the creature before, although I’ve never seen it like that, I turn the page and more pictures come to life. Each one, looking at me, reminding me of that night. They saved me how? Why?
Massive hounds are drawn on the pages, some with dark as night fur, one with fur as white as snow. The fur is drawn as I remembered it, coarse, hard with sharp spikes for ends. It’s the hounds eyes that keep my attention on them. Unearthly yellow, too bright for the earth to be looked upon. Like the fires are burning within them. I realize now, the creatures in the pictures aren’t creatures at all. They are indeed hounds. The Hounds of hell. They came to protect me? Why? I could ask myself that question until I’m blue in the face, and I still won’t get any more answers.
I rip a page from the book, I need answers, and here is my proof. I wasn’t crazy when I saw those hounds. I couldn’t believe something like that actually existed, but it does. And they seem to be here, roaming earth. Why? If the stories are true, Lucifer controls them, he runs hell. Right? Yet they saved
me, they came to my aid. Or they were just catching whatever the hell those creatures were, and I just happened to be the one they saved.
So many questions, and no one to supply me with answers. Whatever is going on, with this prophecy, must be bigger than I thought. I place the book back into the bookshelf and then roll up the picture. I unzip my outfit and slide the picture into my bra. Unfortunately, this outfit doesn’t really come with pockets. I take one more glance at the shelf and decide my interests are now satisfied. Well for now anyways.
Chapter Twenty
“I fear no monsters, because I see no monsters.” - Natalie
~Natalie~
I make my way towards the other end of the library. According to my mother, that’s where the water element is kept. I once again check down the bookshelves, making sure nothing is here, nothing is following me. But I know something is here, something is watching me.
Once I get to the one set of bookshelves on water, I scan the book titles quickly. I can barely make out the titles with the help of the moonlight that is spilling inside, but just barely. I can only make out that I’m hopefully in the correct section. There is a full shelf just dedicated to water myths alone, and I don’t have the time to read through them all.
I take a step back and wave my hand over the shelf. Hoping that any glamour that was on the books, falls away. Nothing happens. I wave my hand again, adding more force than before, and some of the books begin to vibrate off the shelves. I take note of them. I will start with these first.
The first two, conveniently titled Water Myths, have nothing in them, useless information that I already knew, or didn’t need to know. The third and fourth books, random titles but still concerning water myths, have nothing. The fifth book, I pick up is small, old and looks as if it is about to fall apart. I open the book carefully. The pages are either blank or they are faded from age.
I stop, I listen for any movement, anything, that will give away whatever is here. Still nothing, clearly it doesn’t want its presence known. Darkness cannot hide from darkness. Clearly, they don’t know who they are dealing with. After making sure whatever it is, is clearly not moving forward, I continue with my assessment of the book.