“That’s because she is different. Ajë is powerful. These other witches are nothing compared to her. We’re talking about a witch that used blood magic for two centuries.”
“Blood magic, is that bad?”
“The worst. Blood magic tends to be shunned by witches. It allows you to manipulate things without going through the proper channels. It eats away at your very soul and disturbs the fabric of nature itself.”
“Can I transfer it? Maybe into another witch or a vessel?”
Femi laughed.
“What kind of vessel?”
“I read that you can transfer consciousness into a doll.”
“Yes. When it’s yours. This consciousness. This power within you is another’s.”
“And a witch?”
“No witch will willingly take the power of a blood witch. It’s like taking on an infection.”
“That’s a nice mental picture,” Aiden said.
“Even if you wanted to forcefully do it, you’d have to find a witch first. And they aren’t exactly the welcoming type.”
“I think I saw her once,” I said in a low voice. “The first time I met Aiden. That fire was no fabric static. The encounter nearly burnt my house down.”
“And if she does come back and gets her hand on you, worse things will happen.”
“Then I have to use her powers against her.”
“What do you mean?” Aiden asked, leaning against mahogany the table.
“I’ve been thinking about it ever since Femi told me who Ajë is. Now I know I cannot just give her powers and consciousness away. I can clearly use it. I don’t know how I did what I did, but I can try to use it.”
“You shouldn’t be using her powers,” Femi cautioned. “It will corrupt you.”
I clenched my teeth in frustration.
“What other choice do we have?”
“We can protect you.”
“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “I’ve got this tremendous energy flowing through me, and I’ll be a fool if I don’t use it to protect myself. I don’t want what happened to me yesterday to ever happen again. Those men deserve to have a taste of their own medicine.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“Don’t you think I know that? You have to help me. You obviously know more than you are letting on.”
Femi crossed his arms.
“She won’t give up,” Aiden told him.
“Don’t you think I know that?”
He sighed and uncrossed his arms. “Maybe there is something I can do. I’ve seen my grandmother do it all the time. It’s mostly up to you, but I’ll need certain items.”
“What exactly are we going to do?”
“We’ll carry out a small ritual. To draw out some of your powers. Not everything.”
“When?” I asked eagerly.
“This evening.”
“Why not now?”
My stomach answered for me.
“I’ll bring what is needed this evening. Eat something.”
Femi did not wait to be shown out. He hurried out of the house as if something was after him.
“I’ll make some food,” Aiden said and headed for the kitchen.
I went down to the library and took a book on witchcraft. I returned to the kitchen and sat at the island reading and watching Aiden slice and dice.
“What you want Femi to do is dangerous.”
I put the book down next to the vase of flowers.
“More dangerous than those men after me?”
“I don’t know.”
“I have to do this.”
I picked the book back up and began reading about the witch culture in Yoruba land.
Ten minutes later, I had a plate of scrambled eggs, toasted bread and orange juice in my front. I wolfed down the food in no time and got back to reading.
By 6pm, Femi was back. He brought with him some items in a small black bag.
“We have to do this in an open space,” he told Aiden,
We all went down to the grassy field next to the tennis court. Femi looked up at the sky.
“Here,” he said, choosing a portion of the field.
He brought out three red candles which he lit with a gas lighter and placed them strategically on the ground,
“Stand in the middle,” he ordered.
I did, and the flickering flames from the candles shot up like birthday sparkles.
Femi handed me something covered in what I believed to be feathers.
“Is this safe?” Aiden asked.
Femi ignored him.
“Don’t look at it. Squeeze tight and call forth your power.”
“How?” I asked.
“Call it Simi. Use your mind.”
“Call it,” I muttered. “Call it.” How do I call it?
“You might want to stand back,” Femi told Aiden.
I squeezed the small object, and in my mind, I called the power within me. I kept remembering what I did to the man who attacked me. The way he got knocked out. That awful sound that followed. The object in my hand shrunk with every passing second. When it finally disappeared, I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, the green grass around me had turned black.
“It is done,” Femi said.
I smiled and took a step forward but came crashing down. Aiden and Femi rushed to help me up.
“I’m fine,” I told them standing up on my own. I felt more energised than I had ever been before. “So, what now?” I asked.
“Now, you learn to use your powers.”
I stretched out my hand like I did before, but nothing happened.
“It may take a while.”
“Thank you Femi,” I said and hugged him.
“Thank you,” Aiden said and offered a hand. Femi looked at Aiden’s limb for a second then shook it.
I smiled and said, “I should lie down.”
I took a few steps toward the house then noticed no one was following me. I turned around to see Aiden and Femi rooted to where they stood, their mouths gone.
“Dear God!” I gasped holding my stomach.
Femi tried to say something with his eyes.
“What?”
He moved his eyes downward.
“Oh.”
I straightened up and hurried to touch both of them, willing them to move and talk again. They both gasped at the same time,
“I’m so sorry. I did not know when I did that.”
They stared at me in a way that brought chills to my body.
“It’s going to be alright,” Aiden assured me.
“You’ll have to master your abilities,” Femi added. “I did not enjoy having my mouth disappear.”
Femi picked up the candles and placed them in the bag.
“I’ll be back tomorrow. Don’t kill anyone. Except for him. I don’t mind if you kill him.”
Aiden laughed. “Good one,” he said.
We watched Femi leave.
Aiden turned to me and tried to hug me, but I moved away from his reach.
He put his hands on his hips and chuckled.
“I’ll be inside,” I told him.
“I want to hold you,” he said coming after me.
“No, Aiden no.”
At first, I told him off in a severe tone, but he was bent on making the mood light. He grinned and kept on walking faster.
“No,” I laughed and walked ahead.
He ran faster and tackled me from behind. He lifted me off from the ground and swung me around.
“Godammit Aiden!”
I squealed and pushed myself away from him. He let me go. I stared at him, looking for any damages.
He opened his arms and dropped them.
“I’m fine, Simi. Come on. I’ll open a bottle of wine and heat up the food in the fridge.”
“You’re sure you’re fine?”
“I am,” he replied.
We walked side by side into the house.
I helped Aiden put the food in the microwave while he brought a bo
ttle of white wine from the cellar. We sat down in the kitchen drinking wine until the microwave dinged.
I set up the plates and drinking glasses on the kitchen island and dished out the rice and chicken.
“Thank you,” Aiden said and began eating. I sat opposite him and chewed slowly. When I reached out for my glass, it shattered. I stood up immediately.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“No.”
“I’ll clean it up.”
“No, I’ll do it myself. You don’t happen to have plastic cups do you?”
He shook his head.
“I’ll probably melt them,” I grumbled to myself.
I cleared up the mess and ate quickly. Then I headed to my room and locked the door behind me. I took a deep breath, feeling the surge of energy from the tips of my fingers to that of my toes.
I focused my attention on the curtains. Fire. All I thought about was fire. The bottom of the curtains started to burn. I gasped and laughed at the same time.
Maybe I could master my abilities faster than I thought.
I poured water over the curtains. I remembered they were not mine and tried to figure out the expense for fixing them.
I shook my head and decided to have a long bath.
The slight tapping on my door as I exited the bathroom made me shudder. I towel-dried my hair and threw on a bathrobe before opening the door.
"Tea?" Aiden began offering me a cup of tea. It smelled lemony.
"Thanks."
I left the door open so he could come in.
“Wanna talk about it?” he asked
“Talk about what?”
He joined me on the chaise lounge sofa by the window. I sipped my tea, eyes on his moving lips.
“Your trembling hands, shattering glasses, making mouths disappear. This cannot be easy for you.”
No, it was not.
“It’s for the greater good,” I answered. “Those men will definitely come back, and I need something in my arsenal.”
“You’re angry.”
“Yes, I’m angry. And scared. But I will not go down without a fight.”
“Me neither.”
“For now, we can just stay here, drink some tea and talk about anything else.”
“That sounds nice.”
“Or you can kiss me.”
He dropped his cup of tea and faced me squarely.
"I was hoping to kiss you again.”
“Not another forehead kiss, I hope.”
“Looking the way you do now? No. Just don’t take my mouth away.”
I rolled my eyes. But I hoped I would not lose control and do just that.
His unblinking eyes were hypnotic. He reached for my hair and traced his fingers down my face.
“Aiden,” I moaned, spilling some tea on the robe. I stood up in haste, setting aside the teacup on the dressing table. The gown had quite a significant stain on it.
Aiden walked up to me, not minding that I was fussing with the robe and lamenting my clumsiness.
He cupped my face in his hands and planted his lips on mine without saying a word. They were searing hot. Hot and soft and oh so delicious. A deep moan escaped my lips as he ran his tongue in my mouth, exploring and tasting. And then another as he deftly pulled the robe apart.
His warm hands on my body sent shock shaves down to the tips of my toes. I could not get enough of whatever he was doing down there with his fingers that drove me senseless. I understood what desire meant. Such a simple word, yet it carried such intense meaning. I did not know how we got to bed, but I realised how wet I had become.
His feather-like kisses behind my ears moved down to my navel, making me writhe from the mind-numbing pleasure. He was down there again, doing something incredible with his tongue. My legs on their own accord spread open. His fingers massaged my thighs as I dug mine into his bulging biceps. His tongue slid from between my legs and up to my belly button. And then in between my breasts.
His hardness brushed against my thighs. He drew me closer to him and seeing the desire for me in his eyes took away the ability to see anything but him.
“Aiden,” I called his name again and again until it merged with my breathing.
He intertwined his fingers with mine and smiled. He knew how badly I desired him, but he wanted to drive me to the edge. He released me from his grip so I could take off his clothes. My hands trembled so much he ended up doing it himself.
"Simi." He kissed me, his hands around my neck, his warmth burning through my skin.
I licked my lips, completely hypnotised by what I saw before me.
His held my gaze as his fingers trailed down my chest stopped underneath my breasts. He cupped them without breaking focus, and I gasped. I lost all control. I wanted every part of him as soon as he was willing to give it to me.
He scooped me up into his arms so that my legs wound around him as he knelt on the bed.
The incredible sensation that accompanied his firm yet gentle thrusts propelled my body into a seismic convulsion. So much wetter now. I could feel his hands entangle my hair as I clasped my legs and tightened my arms around his body. My sanity was gone, and so was his.
Chapter 12
Aiden was still atop me when he slowly opened his beautiful glazed eyes. His breathing was uneven as he spoke.
“You are the most incredible person to ever walk into my life.”
He kissed me and fell to his side. I moved over and rested my head on his chest. He wound his right arm around me and pulled me in. I shivered when his body touched mine.
“Why did you become a nurse?”
He gently played with my hair.
“Why are you asking?” I chuckled.
"I want to know. I want to know everything about you." He sounded sleepy.
“I get to help people, save lives. It does not get better than that, at least for me, it doesn't. The job does have its rainy days though, but we get through it."
“Hmmm,” Aiden hummed.
"I'm thinking of going back to school, become a doctor."
"You know I'll always be here for you, supporting you. Whatever career path you choose." He pulled me closer.
“Even if I decide to go to clown school? Entertain children at parties?”
“Especially then. I like clowns.”
"What about you?"
"Me?”
“Wanna change your career?”
“It’d be impossible. I pretty much did not have a choice in my career path, but I am proud of where I am today." He paused, kissing my forehead. "I'm so glad you're here.”
I liked his honesty and told him that.
“There’s no reason to keep what I feel to myself, it's bad for the skin," he added jokingly.
His body shuddered as he laughed, and in a few seconds, I could hear light snoring.
***
I was myself, but strangely, I was not. I could feel my body, but it was not mine, and yet it felt oddly like mine. I was walking down a narrow path with the dew on the tall grasses brushing against my bare arms and feet. With every step I took, I heard a rattling noise, like bells had been tied to my feet. The path gave way before me to reveal a diverging path whose entrance was made of palm fronds carefully crafted together. I went under it with no fear of what awaited me on the other side even though it appeared dark because of the clusters of trees.
The sudden appearance of a scrawny old man in my path should have but did not scare me. The man spoke a distinct sort of Yoruba, yet I understood him. I replied to his greeting, absent-minded.
“No sacrifice has been brought to me, and I have come to ask why you are playing with your life?”
“Ajë, we have sent enough of our children to die at your hands. We will not send more. You may have succeeded in crossing the first barrier, but you cannot cross the next.”
The man’s eyes flickered, and he clenched his jaw tightly. A burning rage filled my body, and it came out in a sporadic chant that sent the old man reeling in pain.
I wanted to stop, but I had no control over my body.
“Stop! Stop it you’re killing him!” I shouted, but it all came out silently. She had taken my voice.
My eyes flew open, but my body was no longer on the bed. I looked down to find I was nearly four feet above the ground and floating gently, almost weightless. I panicked and fell to the mattress with a thud.
Aiden was on the floor, a blanket covering his body, and he was coughing hard. His hands were on his throat, and he was reeling in pain just like the old man had done, and I realised what I was doing; choking the life out of him without even touching him. My mouth became drier as I screamed his name. Years of studying in nursing school had taught me how to attend to someone choking but never prepared me on what to do when I caused the choking through magic.
I knelt close to him, my heart racing. My hands trembled, but what made me more afraid was the inner joy I felt from seeing him that way. It was as if I had become one with the witch, and all her emotions were being channelled through me. His eyes turned a brighter shade of yellow. His hair was gradually turning silver with every painful breath he tried to take.
“Aiden,” I wept and brought myself to touch him. He instantly stopped choking, scurrying away from my touch.
“I’m so sorry,” I sobbed. “I did not mean to do that.”
The colour that was lost from his face returned, and he almost looked like himself again. He stretched his hand, and I backed away from him, standing up to my feet.
“I might hurt you again.”
He stood up and pulled me into his embrace.
“You can never hurt me, Simi.”
“But I just did,” I sobbed. “I just did.”
“Shhhh...” He hushed me up and kissed my forehead.
“I need to get out of here. Be as far away from you as possible.'’
He put on his trousers and wrapped me with the blanket. His hands guided me up the stairs. He placed me gently on the sofa and moved toward the door to press a button. The drawn curtains slid open to reveal the infinity pool.
“Simi, you’re shaking.” His calm, sweet voice unsettled me.
“For someone who almost died, you’re really taking it well.”
“How else am I supposed to take it?”
“I don’t know! Get angry, I guess. Do something but look at me that way.”
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