So I did. I told her about everything… my past disinterest in sex, my body’s awakening when Vincent showed up, and all of the past incarnations we had spent together. I told her about how Angelique and I were starting to explore our past lives together, and the carnal turn the recollections had taken. I finally told her about the sessions today, and how it had been vexing me ever since.
When I was done, Evelyn lit another joint and took a deep hit off of it. “Shiite on a demon’s cock, that’s a lot.” she sighed.
“Ya know?” I chuckled sardonically. “Here I was, imaging that I had left relationship drama behind when I graduated, only to be up to my neck in it!”
“Forgive me for being potentially clueless, but what drama?” she asked me, passing the joint. “I mean, sure the whole situation seems a bit… love-triangle-y when looking at the whole of your history, but you seem to be solidly on ‘Team Vincent’ this time around, right?”
“True.” I exhaled. “I’m just… kinda worried about hurting Angelique. I mean, what if I’m not ready to, or even able to, love her back in the way that she wants? I know that I would hate to wait a century or more for someone to show up only for them to say ‘Sorry, wrong sexuality this go-around.’ It sucks.”
“That's why I stay away from past-life recall." she said firmly. "It's fun and all, but it can fuck some things right up!”
“I take it you speak from experience.”
“Right you are. The one time I did so, it was in this past-life regression class at Atlantis bookshop in London. I saw this old flame of mine… you know, past-life flame? Anyway, she was a knockout! Then the teacher tells me that this person is in the class!”
“Sounds thrilling.”
“It was, until… until I saw them.”
“Oh no…” I said, a grin creeping across my face.
“Yep! It was a dude. And a hairy one at that!” She shook her head as she laughed.
“How did he take your lack of interest?”
“Very understanding, seeing that he was flamingly gay himself.”
We laughed again, and then I grew quiet. “What if Angelique gets hurt?” I asked finally.
“I wouldn’t worry yourself.” she answered. “Angelique knows about soul mates… which is what you, Angelique, and Vincent are. She knows that every relationship isn’t going to be a romantic one. Sometimes it’s as lovers, sure, but it’s also just as often one of a more platonic nature… best friends, siblings, even parent-child.”
That’s right! I thought. “There was that one life where Vincent was our child.” I offered.
“Exactly!” she said, smiling. “Angelique loves you with a force that transcends mere sexuality. Just love her back, the way you can best, and I’m positive that everything will be all right.”
I smiled, feeling much better. This calls for another joint!
* * *
Vincent must have gotten in after I finally fell asleep, because I found him the next morning in ‘the reliquary”, which was his name for his magickal object room. He was wiping a wicked-looking blade with a cloth dipped in a red liquid, but I didn’t notice that at first.
While Evelyn had eased my mind the night before, I was still feeling restless. I had awoken with a possible solution in my mind, and wanted to act on it asap.
“Hey there handsome!” I said as I breezed in.
“Hey there yourself.” he replied with a grin.
“So, I…” I stopped, suddenly noticing what he was doing. “What are you doing?”
“Just doing some regular maintenance.” he replied without stopping.
“Is that blood?” I said, pointing to the red liquid.
“Sure is.”
“Why are you wiping that blade down with blood?”
“It’s a demon blade. It can control and banish certain demons.”
“And the blood?”
He shrugged. “To work, it needs to be anointed with virgin blood every moon cycle.”
“Where do you find virgin blood?” Vincent just looked at me with an expression that said really? I rolled my eyes.” Okay, I know how to get virgin blood, but what about your ethics? I can’t imagine that too many virgins are predators.”
My question was well founded. Vincent and Angelique hunted humans, sure, but they kept their ‘dinner choices’ limited to humans who preyed on others. Since vampire lore said that they were created to teach humans how to be more conscientious predators, it seemed a natural fit for the vampire who still loved those in humanity. They had a preternatural ability to see someone’s inner nature, and those who were too far gone in the role of predator to ever choose another path.
It’s how Vincent often knew a ‘bad guy’ just by looking at them, unless they were sociopaths. Vincent and Angelique can smell guilt, and it’s how they picked their prey.
“Ah, now here is a great loophole!" he replied, answering my question. "It really doesn't matter if the person is actually a virgin or not, it's just that you don't want to use blood from a sexually active person for this blade. When someone is celibate, hormones concentrate in the blood in a way that pleases whatever dark spirit lives in the blade."
“So it’s more the blood of the celibate, not of a virgin.” I surmised.
“It’s even better. Most virgins I’ve known masturbate frequently, which this blade doesn’t like.”
“And it’s easy to find predators who are celibate?” I asked.
“Just visit the ‘red pill’ subreddit sometime.” he replied.
“So anyway… “ I said, getting back on track. “We need a vacation.”
He put the blade back in the display case and looked at me. “What, like Disney-world?”
“I wouldn’t say no to that,” I replied, “But it doesn’t have to be anything tourist-trap-ish. It just needs to be away… away from this house, away from the mystery lake, away from the hit squads, the works. We’ve all been staying baked twenty-four-seven, and as much as I enjoy weed, we need a break.”
“I can’t say that you’re wrong. Anywhere in mind?”
“Well, Samhain is coming up. I’d like to go somewhere really magickal to celebrate it.” I rethought my words quickly. “Magickal as in ‘gee this is really cool’, not ‘bombarded with magickal creatures’, mind you.”
He smiled. “I know just the place.”
Chapter Eight
From the Diaries of Angelique Dupre
02/03/1589
Roanoke Colony
Sarah finally began to understand what kind of power she’s going to come into last night. I am quite relieved… I thought the girl to be a bit daft until now!
I was guiding her through the old Pagan holiday that graces two February, one my old cohorts used to call “Imbolc”. Sarah knew nothing of the old religions, of course. I think she still believes her coming power to be from "the devil", Christendom's favorite bogeyman. The fact that she doesn't seemed bothered by this has eased things, to say the least.
The energies she channeled last night were potent… I haven’t seen anyone take so well to wielding such power in a long time.
She knows no fear. I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing. She confessed that she sometimes dreamed of controlling vast numbers, but I took solace in the horror I saw in her eyes. I pray, too, that this is a good sign.
* * *
“Holy shit, it does look like a quilt!”
I grinned and fired up my Kindle. While this wasn’t my first plane ride, it was Raina’s first trip that didn’t involve miles of highway. While I normally preferred the window seat, I let Raina have it. Her enthusiasm was fun to watch, and made my ‘sacrifice’ well worth it.
“Just wait until we hit our peak altitude.” I said. “The clouds really look like fields of cotton-balls from up here.”
“Jack is so missing out!” She turned away from the window and shook her head. “Isn’t he traveling by mirror realm with Angelique and Vincent?”
“No, he said he was traveling by
a different shadow realm, something that Hatsu and Katsu use.” I grinned. “Guess who’s joining him?”
“Shut up!” Raina’s mouth hung open.
“No, you shut up!” I grinned.
My friend whistled and shook her head. “Damn, if that boy doesn’t know how to pick ‘em! She’s, what… five thousand years old?”
“But she doesn’t look a day over four thousand.” I jokingly insisted.
She snorted when she chuckled. “Look, I know that she looks to be in her late teens, early twenties… whatever age she was when she and her sister were frozen in time, however that happened." She stopped, face perplexed. "Do you know how or why they were frozen in time?"
“I have not been given that story yet.” I answered.
“Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah...” She took a deep breath. “I understand the attraction. She’s beautiful. And she’s very, very smart.”
“Not to mention completely smitten with him!” I added, finger raised. "Wherever you're going with this, remember that it's a two-way street, and Katsu is a willing participant."
“I just hope he knows what he’s doing.” She paused, and then looked at her watch. “When do we get into Vancouver?”
“Five thirty.” I responded, grateful that she seemed willing to drop the subject of Jack’s love life.”
“And where do we go when we land?”
“Vincent said that he’d arrange transportation for us from the airport.”
“So he’s there already?”
I shrugged. “Mirror realm is just faster, I guess.”
* * *
“You have got to be kidding!”
The sight before my eyes refused to register. My friend’s exclamation ignored, I stared in open-jawed shock at the unbelievable vision before us.
“No fucking way!” she said. When I again refused to answer, she just repeated herself. “No fucking way!”
It was a big wooden carriage. A big wooden carriage made to look like a giant pumpkin.
A big wooden pumpkin carriage pulled by unicorns. Fuck me with Fae Fire. I thought.
The door to the carriage opened and out stepped Vincent, a big grin on his face.
“You said you wanted this trip to be special.” he said. He gestured at the setup grandly. “Is it special enough?”
Not only was it other-worldly, but it was also particularly out of place in front of the airport. "Vincent, what are you… everyone can see this, I..."
He held up a hand to stop me. “Don’t worry, it’s enchanted to mask its true nature to the outside world. However, Witches with Fae or Sorceress magick are immune."
"Kickass." Raina said, grinning.
We climbed aboard, and I noticed that it was far roomier than its outside size should have allowed for.
“What is this, time-lord magick?” I asked, settling down onto an impossibly cushy seat. “Or maybe Lords of Pampering magick?”
“Wait,” Raina said suddenly, looking around wide-eyed, “this isn’t...”
“Twilight Fae magick?” Vincent said, his grin growing wider. “Why, yes it is!”
“You are shitting me!” Raina squealed, her face lighting up.
“Completely free of excrement.” Vincent avowed, raising his right hand.
“Oh my Gods!” she squealed again.
I had heard of the Twilight Fae but knew little about them beyond that they favored a more… glittery style of magick than their Wood Fae brethren that I knew best. The fact that the ‘Twilight’ Fae were thought of that way amused Jack to no end.
If he could only see this! I thought.
“So,” I said instead, “I know almost nothing about the Twilight Fae, other than they’re one of three Fae races still known to exist.”
“Which is a hell of a lot more than most average Joes or Janes now about any Fae.” Raina interjected. “They’ve been incredibly successful at keeping information on them out of the public eye!”
“Almost zero information on any Fae has ever leaked out into the human cultures.” Vincent said, nodding. “That alone speaks to their power. I think Raina’s done more … shall we say, intermediate… Fae magick than any other human I know has ever done without losing it.”
“And those are the thoughts that keep me reaching for the antacids.” Raina said sarcastically.
“And we’re getting off of the topic.” I gently admonished. “I know Wood Fae reasonably well… powerful, studious, kinda stuffy.”
“Their Twilight Fae cousins are also just as, if not more so, powerful.” Vincent said. “However, they’re far from stuffy. They’re impish and tricky… wonderful when they’re in the mood to play nice, aggravating as hell when they’re not.”
“Well, somebody slap me if I start to date one of them.” Raina said. “I’ve always had a crush on Galadriel and Arwen from Lord of the Rings, so proto-elves are my weakness.”
We all had to laugh at that.
* * *
The highways gradually gave way to country roads, and then no roads. The massive carriage handled them all with ease, seeming to slip between trees that a child would have a hard time passing through. We eventually came to a clearing in the woods, and got out to stretch our legs.
“So, what… are we looking for a Buckland Gate?” Raina asked.
I had only passed through a Buckland Gate… an intentional entry-point placed in our world by the Fae themselves… once before. Once Raina had implanted a Fae crystal in her right hand, and had seemingly earned the right for her own entry into the Wood Fae realm, however, I had used her for coming and going. Raina had no relationships outside of the Wood Fae, so we would have to go a more traditional route.
Vincent shook his head. “Twilight Fae gates are stupidly rare.” he said. “I had to plan ahead. There’s no such thing as a Buckland Gate for the Twilighters.”
“There are, however, old friends one can impose upon for a task that is no imposition.” came a voice from the nearby forest. I looked closer and saw the most unusual Fae I had ever seen step out from behind the trunks.
She was tall and thin, much like the Wood Fae I was familiar with. Her skin, however, was the most brilliant shade of purple I had ever seen. It almost shimmered in the late afternoon sunlight as she and two more of her kind walked towards us by the road. One had green skin, the other more of a sky blue. All three Fae women had black hair and wore outfits made of the same silver, shimmering translucent material.
Those clothes might be street legal, I thought, but they leave nothing to the imagination!
“Lucinda!” Vincent exclaimed, walking towards them. “It’s been far too long!”
“Not as long as my three-way with the Midnight Fae, but long enough." Lucinda purred. They greeted with a kiss, and Lucinda's skin flashed a plum-color. "Hmm., that's more like it."
So, another old connection? It was at times like these that I was glad to not be the jealous type! Vampires, even those with connections as strong as Vincent and Angelique’s, were never exclusive in their relationships… Vincent’s recent history with myself notwithstanding. It led to a lot of old flames.
“May I introduce you to my companions?” he said, gesturing towards us.
“Oh, do!” Lucinda replied enthusiastically.
“First,” he said, stopping in front of me, “This is Annabelle, my girlfriend.”
I smiled, thankful that Vincent had warned me how touchy-feely the Twilight Fae could be. “Hi.”
“Annabelle, darling, so glad that Vincent has found you again.” Lucinda replied, touching my arm. “He’s such a dear, he needs someone to watch his heart, not just his happy places.”
I had to chuckle. Her energy was infectious.
“And oh...” she said, stepping to Raina. “Someone has hurt you recently. Someone you loved very dearly.”
“Y-yes.” Raina said, shocked. “How did you know?”
“I can feel your pain and loneliness radiating off of you.” She winced. “Oooh… it was bad.”
“Yeah.” Raina said, Lucinda touched her arm, and she visibly relaxed.
“If you need anything, dear…?” She let the word hang in the air.
“Raina.”
“Dear Raina,” Lucinda continued, “don’t hesitate to ask.”
I had the distinct feeling that more than just a shoulder to cry on was available. I also got the impression from Raina that it wasn’t unwelcome.
“So, Drucilla here..." Lucinda continued, gesturing towards the blue-skinned Fae, "will work with her cousin Gaia to transport your carriage and luggage to our realm."
The two went off without another word, starting an elaborate series of gestures as they walked.
“I’ll take you three through myself.” she finished.
We started walking towards the woods. Raina and I walked behind Vincent and Lucinda, and I couldn’t help but steal a glance at the Twilight woman, and then to my friend, grinning. She grinned back, blushing.
“You really didn't have a three-way with Midnight Fae, did you?" Vincent asked. "I know you guys don't really age, but that was so long ago!”
“Oh, I was young, and it wasn’t long before their fall, but it happened.” Lucinda assured him. “It’s why I never bought the idea that they perished. I would know if those two left the earth, I’m sure of it.”
“Well, you’re definitely in the minority there.” Vincent countered. “Most Fae I know believe that the Midnight are no more.”
“They hope that they’re gone. There’s a difference.”
As we walked, I noticed how things had… changed. The sunlight dappling through the trees looked more golden in color, and the leaves were an emerald green that I had never seen before on a living thing. I looked to the side and saw what looked like a miniature dragon munching on a bright green leaf.
“What the hell?” I asked Raina softly. I didn’t see any gate.”
“Neither did I.” she replied.
It was then that I noticed that Vincent and Lucinda had stopped talking. “That’s the thing about Twilight Fae.” Vincent called back. “They don’t like hard boundaries. We eased through the gate without realizing it.”
The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga Page 14