“The very one I was wearing at the dance where Kelly Dee let me feel her up during a slow dance, that’s correct.” she answered nodding.
“I didn’t think that you wore that stuff anymore.”
“Most of the old clothes I brought with me from my Mom’s house are going to be donated, that’s true. But some pieces, those with sentimental attachment, well… a few select snips and they become sexy casual wear.” Vincent then sat a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her, and she bit into one of the crispy, greasy strips. “I must have been in more of a hurry than I thought when I packed… my crates looked like they had been rummaged through!”
“Yeah, well, there’s a reason for that…”
My explanation was cut short by Starr’s dramatic entrance. “Look who’s back in town!” he exclaimed, hands held dramatically before him.
“Dude!” Jack exclaimed.
“Welcome back.” Vincent chimed in.
Raina, however, sat there slack-jawed. “Are those my clothes?” she asked.
I smiled sheepishly. The star and galaxy shirt he wore was indeed from Raina’s collection. She had worn it when she was twelve.
“Don’t get an attitude, dearie, just because I look so good in this.” Starr sashayed over to the table and took an empty seat. He tossed his black and white hair aside as he looked at us.
“Who gave him my clothes?” Raina asked, still disbelieving.
I raised my hand. “Sorry. But Vincent’s archives are in Vienna, and all Angelique had were a collection of evening gowns and peasant dresses.”
“I would have slayed in those, too, but I hate taking stairs in skirts.” Starr thanked Vincent when he brought him a cup of coffee and took a sip. “Oh, you remembered how I take it, you doll!”
“No problem.” Vincent grinned as he looked at him. “You seem to be doing better at staying fur-free.”
“Thanks to your awesome girlfriend. She’s been helping me stay human.”
Raina looked at me. “I didn’t know that was one of your powers.”
“I didn’t either, but…” I shrugged.
“I’ll be lucky to make it to the end of breakfast, but… it’s a start.” Starr plucked a piece of bacon from Raina’s plate.
“Hey!” Raina said, trying to catch his hand and failing. “I’m happy to see you human as well, but you don’t get my clothes and my breakfast!”
“There are advantages to having cat-like reflexes.” Starr replied with a grin.
Even Raina had to join in the laughing.
* * *
Later that day we assembled in the parlor for another strategy session. Trevor stood by the map showing the appearances of mystery lakes around the world once again, with his sister seated to his right. The rest of us sat on comfortable sofas and chairs, Angelique being the lone standout, preferring to stand. Starr, once again in cat form after a record length human romp that morning, was curled up in my lap, lazily surveying the room.
“Okay ladies, gentlemen, and, uh…” Trevor began, eyeing Starr, “… felines, let’s get started.”
“I take it there’s no word yet on the origins of the lakes?” Angelique interjected.
“No, but we have uncovered something to help us narrow things down a bit.” he replied, and turned to Evelyn.
“Several reports have surfaced of Celtic-type glyphs being found near several of the lakes.” she said. “There are no reports of these glyphs being found at every appearance site, but we don’t know if that’s because they weren’t found at every lake...”
“… Or if they were at every lake, but just not discovered or recorded.” I finished. “So we have a Celtic lake and Asian ghost-people… any idea where it all leads?”
“Uh, no.” Trevor replied. “But this isn’t about the lake. It’s about the other attacks on you people earlier this year. Now Annabelle,” he continued, turning to me, “it’s about time we were completely honest about what brought us here.”
“It’s because you and your sister were hired by someone who you can’t disclose to keep an eye on me, and if I go bad to help Angelique and Vincent take me down.” I quickly said, looking right into his widened eyes. “Is that it?”
“Uh, spot on.” Trevor stammered, trying to recover. “Since you somehow seem to know so much,” he continued… shooting his sister a dirty look, which she answered with a smile and a wave… “then it should come as no surprise to you that some in the paranormal world aren’t as willing to wait and see as my employer is, and would like to take you out before you’ve settled into your full power. Especially if you don’t turn bad.”
This was new to me. “If I don’t? What the serious hell?”
"Annabelle, my darling…" Angelique said as she drifted over to me, laying a hand on my shoulder. "There are some very powerful beings that fear little in this world. Vampires far older than myself that can only be killed by the fires of the sun, and the like. But they have cause to fear you… at least, once you come to know your full power. They are trying to stop the latter, so they may never face the former."
“Let them come." Raina said, her face serious. "I've been practicing." She held her palm out and a bright purple flame appeared, swirling with power. She smiled, but then the flame shot out of her hand and hit Trevor's map. The map incinerated quite quickly despite Trevor's best efforts to put it out.
Raina mouthed ‘sorry’, and I tried but failed to stifle a giggle.
“Pyrotechnics aside,” Trevor continued, wiping soot off his hands on his denim vest, “Evie and I have installed supernatural-sensitive sensors at various points around the house, including a few on neighboring properties. These can also detect regular human attackers, so nobody can use mercenaries to get around them.”
“The chatter in the paranormal underworld is that another attack is imminent, so we need to be ready." Evelyn added.
I looked at a charred corner of the map on the floor. Let them come. I thought.
* * *
I sat out on the patio, looking out into the night. A darkened forest looked back, keeping its secrets no matter how hard I peered.
The air was crisp and chilled, reminding me that winter wasn’t far away. I had come out ostensibly to enjoy the night air, but I also wanted to clear my mind. A little over a year ago, I was an ordinary suburban teenager looking to ease into an ordinary adult existence. Nobody ever wants a boring life, mind you, but I thought that my thrills would be things like falling in love, having a family, maybe seeing the world someday… in little bits, on summer vacations, that sort of thing.
Now I’m the Sorceress, something that I still hadn’t gotten my head completely around. I had a smoking hot boyfriend, access to seemingly limitless financial resources, and the best friends anyone could ever ask for.
And people were trying to kill me… powerful, connected people.
I always thought that becoming an adult would change my life, I thought, but come on!
I reached out with my senses, trying to detect any danger that hid nearby. I felt the animals moving through the night… the raccoons, skunks, deer, and other nocturnal entities existing under cover of darkness. I could almost feel the night air as bats slipped through it on their eternal hunt for insects. I was getting better at this and was confident that no dangers lurked nearby.
Except for the lake. I couldn't feel anything there, only an inky black void.
“Do you feel like company?”
I turned around to see Raina standing there, the bright lights of the mansion behind her making her look like she was standing in shadow. I smiled. “Feel free to join me, madame.”
She sat in a chair next to me and looked out into the night. “All calm out there?”
I had to smile again… I had been caught. “How did you know I was keeping watch?”
“Because I've been doing the same thing all night." she said, her grin evident even in the dark. "I just wanted to see if you concurred."
“As quiet as a forest teeming with
life can be.” I paused, a growing feeling making itself known. Even though she was presenting a calm exterior, I could sense anguish beneath the surface of my friend’s words. “Anything on your mind?”
My friend took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “Lots and lots has been on my mind. Nothing I can talk about, though.”
“Ugh.” I grunted. “Fae stuff that they’ve sworn you to secrecy about?”
“You could say that.”
Her non-answer was par for the course when dealing with the Fae. I had only met them earlier in the year and owed them a favor for being allowed to take refuge in their realm while awaiting my eighteenth birthday. They were a cagey bunch, however, and Raina's studies with them had been marked with wondrous discoveries that she couldn't talk about with non-Fae. Her magickal skills, however, had grown by leaps and bounds. She had even implanted a Fae crystal, the door to humans wielding Fae magick, in her right palm.
“I loved the look on Trevor’s face when I talked about why they were really here.” I said, changing the subject.
Raina chuckled. “Took the wind right out of his sails. How did you know?”
“His sister Evie told me.”
“Evelyn Hawkins, damn.” She let a long breath out. “While I enjoy the view, I wish she would wear something that’s not skin-tight sometime. It’s hard to concentrate.”
I thought about Evelyn’s curvaceous figure, and could see where an admirer of the female form could have a hard time looking away. “She’s not hard on the eyes, no matter what your sexual orientation is.” I agreed.
“So how’s your training going?” she asked. “We don’t always get the chance to just shoot the excrement these days.”
I thought about just how much sex had been figuring into my activities lately… sex with Vincent to blow off steam, sex with Angelique in past life memories, etc… and shook my head. “It’s been… eventful.” I said finally.
The scene in front of me suddenly shifted, and I was seeing the woods from above. I looked to either side and saw bat wings, and knew that I was seeing what they were.
Three were large, dark shapes moving into the woods from the far side. I flew lower, and could just make out eight giant, hairy legs attached to each shape.
They were headed this way.
I reached out and grabbed Raina’s hand, suddenly back in my own body. “Go get the gang.” I said, my voice tense. “They’re coming.”
Chapter Five
From the Diaries of Angelique Dupre
10/06/1588
Roanoke Colony
Sarah's preparations are continuing at a steady clip. It is good that she is often sent foraging for roots and herbs alone, for this allows us to work without raising the suspicions of the others. She thinks that I am one of the local inhabitants, and that will do for now.
Petronia told me that there was a stage where one who would take on the powers would start to wield magick, even if it was in insignificant amounts. This started for Sarah yesterday. To say that she was thrilled would be an understatement. While she had been a reluctant student before, she is now diving into her lessons with glee and vigor.
I believe that she is starting to understand just what being the Sorceress really means.
* * *
For a moment, I was out there alone.
Raina had bolted when she heard the seriousness, tinged with fear, in my voice. I had no doubts that she would hit the hallways at full volume, raising the alarm. However, that meant that I was left to prepare for the attack that was coming by myself.
This was new to me, and I didn't like it. My palms were damp, and my heart was acting like it would punch its way through my rib-cage with every beat. I tried to center myself, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths.
Annabelle…
The voice echoed in my head, startling me and making me open my eyes. I was in a very familiar space.
“Really?” I said, exasperated. “You’re doing this now?”
Before me stood the small olive-skinned woman once again, hands on her hips and an annoyed look on her face. "Look, I was charged with giving you a hand now and again, so that's what I'm doing. Sorry if it doesn't fit your schedule."
“Well, I am kind of busy at the moment, what with my home about to be invaded by giant spiders and everything." I shot back. I normally liked these spirit-to-human bull sessions but wasn't in the mood right then.
“Eh!” she grunted, waving my concern away. “Time doesn’t work like that here. Rest assured that you will be ready in plenty of time to play ‘Arachnophobia: the home game’ when we’re done here.”
That made me relax just a bit. “So, why do we need to do this now?”
“Walk with me.” she replied with a jerk of her head. I strode to her side as she meandered down a particularly dark tunnel. There were torches on the walls that somehow caught fire as we neared it, only to extinguish itself once we’d passed. They created a bubble of light that followed us as we talked.
“Look, kid," she began, "you're progressing at an incredible rate. Vincent and Angelique have reason to be proud. However, there may come a time when your friends can't come to your aid whenever trouble rears its ugly head. You've got to be able to stand on your own two feet, to wield your powers alone."
“Isn’t it a little early to be giving me the bootstrap talk?” I asked, confused. “I mean, until after the settling is done?”
She shook her head. “The settling is more than just a period of time. I mean, time helps make it happen, but it’s more of a process.” She stopped and put a hand ob my shoulder. “The truth is, until you’re comfortable wielding your powers on your own, with your own justifications for doing so, then the settling will never be over.”
Suddenly, I was back outside of the mansion, standing on the patio, looking out at the darkened forest before me. I felt calmer, more centered, my breathing no longer raspy and panicked.
I was ready.
“What’s happening?”
Vincent’s voice didn’t surprise me. It would have surprised me more if he hadn’t been the first person on the scene.
“They looked like giant tarantulas," I said calmly.
He grunted, looking out over the forest’s edge.
“Which direction are they coming from?" Angelique glided up to us as she spoke, her calm demeanor in place.
“The far side of the forest. A bat showed me.”
Angelique smiled at the news. “Good use of your skills, my dear.”
“Angelique and I will meet them in the forest.” Vincent said. “Raina and the others should be here soon enough.”
“If they’ve come in numbers,” Angelique continued, “and they always do, then we won’t be able to intercept them all. Some will make it here.”
“I’ll be ready.” I said, my gaze fixed on the darkness in front of me. There were blurs from where Vincent and Angelique had stood just seconds ago, and again I was standing there, alone.
I did a mental inventory of the skills I had been learning and was somewhat frustrated that ‘big scary death ray’ wasn’t one of them. I actually hadn’t learned too many spells that could be used offensively, so I was going to have to improvise.
I closed my eyes again and concentrated on the earth beneath me. Far below the cement of the patio, beyond the layer of roots and earthworms, down where no human feet have ever stepped, I felt the heartbeat of creation. It flowed through every living planet, every living star, every living being, bringing the powers of creation close to this reality.
I reached out to this power and took it into me. The comforting warmth I had come to know so well over the past few months spread through my body and made me tingle from head to foot.
I opened my eyes and saw the spirits of the land, human and otherwise, floating over the lawn and at the edge of the trees. I could see pure, raw energy again, moving like a mist over the green earth.
I could also see a shadow coming. Okay, maybe not see… the beast casting the dar
kness was still far away. However, I could feel them, and the feeling gave me a hint of my old nervousness back. I steeled myself against panic, however, and started where I could.
“Stay away!" I said and tried to project my energy to the edges of the meadow. A tiny flash of light escaped my hands, but no barrier was constructed. I didn't let it phase me, however, and tried the spell again. To the same results.
Shit! I cursed inwardly. I had no trouble with the cute, fun stuff, but my nerves were really getting in the way. When it matters…
I cleared the negative thoughts from my mind and tried again. This time I visualized not only the house and the grounds, but the people inside… Raina, Jack, even Evelyn. I felt my caring and devotion for my friends, both old and new, and felt it well up within my chest.
“Stay away!” I yelled, pushing my hands out in front of me. A streak of purple light flew from my hands and created a web of light at the edge of the lawn, along the treeline. Though the visible light faded instantly, I could feel the magick left behind, standing in between my home and the danger approaching. I smiled. That’s how you do it, kid! I heard the olive-skinned woman say in my mind.
I turned around and saw Raina running towards me, Trevor and Evelyn not far behind. In my sensitive state, I could also 'see' Jack sitting at his computer desk, monitoring the surveillance cameras around the property.
“So what’s the sitch?” Raina asked me, her hands at the ready to cast.
“They look like giant spiders.” I said calmly. “I counted maybe a dozen.”
“Arak-Hellions.” Evelyn said gravely. “Somebody’s serious.”
“Actually, they sound more like Thagnerian snare-beasts..." Trevor began but was interrupted by a thunderous crashing in the trees.
One that was coming closer.
Without a word, Trevor and Evelyn spread out in opposite directions, both positioning themselves to face whatever came out of the forest nearest to them. Raina stayed by my side, hands still ready.
The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga Page 8