To the right of this is a slightly larger sculpture of a woman, beautifully fearsome. She looks as though she’s standing in the middle of a tempest, the way her long black hair flies wildly around her. The bodice of her ebony dress is tight and sleeveless, just exposing the top of her breasts. At the waist, the skirt falls in loose folds, billowing out behind her. There’s a small but deadly looking dagger attached to her hip, intricate symbols carved into its hilt. On her upper left arm is a tattoo of a star surrounded by a circle. Dusky leather sheaths encase her forearms from elbow to wrist, ending in a point over the back of her hands. One arm is extended in front of her, holding out a raven. Beside her is a smoky gray wolf, his head bent down aggressively.
I study the miniature raven, its onyx eyes surprisingly life like. Though it’s small, the level of detail is impressive. The woman stares off into the distance, her face seemingly calm, but her eyes fierce and stormy. I reach out to stroke the figure, and jump as Caroline glides up beside me, an assortment of clothes draped over her arm.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Who is it?” I continue to admire the figure, mesmerized.
“Her name is Morrigan. She’s the Celtic Goddess of War.”
I glance over at her in surprise. “Why does she have a raven and a wolf?”
“Ravens are associated with magic, transformation, and death. Morrigan was also known for her shape shifting abilities, and ravens and crows were her favorite shape to take, although she could take the form of a wolf as well.” She gestures to the wolf by the statue’s side. “During battles, Morrigan would transform into a raven to fly above the field, calling death down upon the opposing army, striking fear into enemy hearts, and feasting on their corpses.”
I look back to the statue. “Death? I thought ravens were, like, messengers. Like Odin’s ravens.” I think of the clock in my room.
Caroline smiles at me, clearly pleased by my question. “Yes, in some mythologies, ravens were also messengers of the Gods. But, many times, the messages they sent down to mortals were warnings of death and destruction. And Odin was a God of War himself.”
“War? My mom told me he was the God of Wisdom.”
Her laugh chimes around the room. “He was that as well. That’s why he made such a good general. He was wise in the ways of war. He was also a shape shifter, like Morrigan.”
I look back at the statue in disgust. Beautiful it may be, but it’s a symbol of death.
She smiles knowingly at me, as if guessing my thoughts. “The ancient peoples, Celtic and Norse, revered war deities as the protecting force of their tribes. How can you keep your families safe if you don’t fight? Being a God or Goddess of war doesn’t make them evil. It makes them strong. Fierce enough to protect the ones they love. Is that not something worthy of respect and veneration?”
Veneration for a war deity? I suppose I can see her point about protecting your family and friends, but to me, these gods sound terrifying, dangerous. I mean, ‘feasting on enemy corpses’? I shudder. But then my chest tightens and my eyes sting. I almost killed someone, and it certainly wasn’t for protection. Who am I to judge anyone?
“I’ve found you a few things that I think might fit. The bathroom is down the hall. Why don’t you go get changed and I’ll make us some tea.”
She gave me a simple, long sleeved, black cotton shirt and a pair of dark gray leggings. The shirt is a little too small, but it’s dry. I pull on Caroline’s clothes as fast as I can, leaving mine hanging over the tub. Looking in the mirror, I trace the dark circles below my plum colored eyes.
My face looks like all the color has bled out, my cheekbones standing out more than usual beneath my haunted eyes. I wring my dripping hair out in the sink and try to finger comb it, wishing I had a brush. I look like a drowned rat. Oh well, nothing I can do. I exit the bathroom and walk back to the inviting warmth of the fire.
After a few minutes, Caroline comes in with some tea and invites us to sit down. I choose the chair closest to the fire, while Caiden sits in one across the room from me, putting as much distance between us as possible.
I shift my feet and cross my legs nervously, wondering when we’re going to get to the point of this little meeting. Caroline seems nice enough, but I’m still here by force and I want to know why.
“Caiden tells me you’ve been experiencing some headaches recently?” She begins, but I have a few questions of my own first.
“So, Caiden tells me that you knew my mom?”
She smiles, the corners of her eyes crinkling, despite my antagonistic tone. “Yes, I knew Elizabeth. You look just like her.”
“Were you friends?”
“Friends.... no, not really. More like acquaintances.” I wait for her to continue, but she just stares back at me, not giving an inch.
“What does that mean?”
“It means she needed help, and came to me for it.”
“Help? What kind of help? What are you, a shrink or something?” My mouth twists in revulsion. I’ve had enough shrinks to last me a lifetime.
“No. I believe Caiden already explained this, didn’t you?” She turns to Caiden questioningly.
“She’s incredibly stubborn,” is his only answer. They share a look for a moment, a wealth of information being communicated.
“So, about these headaches,” Caroline starts again, looking back to me.
“You never answered my question,” I cut her off.
“I will, in time.” She’s not smiling now. “But it’s you we really need to discuss. I heard about what happened last night.” I go cold all over, my chest tightening again. “Caiden says you’ve been experiencing headaches, and you show a remarkable aptitude for telepathy. But, you lost control last night and a young girl almost died as a result. Is this correct?”
I look down at the floor, unable to meet her gaze. I nod my head numbly, all my bravado gone. I’m a murderer. A psychopath. What kind of person kills someone because of an insult? Yeah, Sarah was being a bitch, but she didn’t deserve what I did to her.
If it weren’t for Caiden, I’d be locked away, serving time in prison, or more likely, a mental ward. Maybe I should be... Maybe my mom was crazy, and I’m going insane just like her...
“Well then,” Caroline continues briskly, oblivious to the thoughts churning inside my head. “The first thing we need to work on is curbing that temper of yours. Once you have more control over your emotions, we can work on strengthening your abilities.”
“What?” My head snaps up and I stare at her in disbelief. “Why the hell would I want to strengthen them? I almost killed someone last night! I should be locked up! Not sitting here sipping tea, calmly discussing it like it’s no big deal!”
“Mistakes happen.” She gives a delicate shrug, unconcerned by my outburst. She’s impossibly calm about this. Shouldn’t she be blaming me, reviling me for a monster?
“Luckily Caiden was there,” she continues. “The girl will suffer no permanent injury and will have no recollection of the event. The point of awakening is a very difficult time for any witch. For you, it will be even more so.”
“Why?” I don’t even bother arguing with her when she calls me a witch. After what I saw last night, how can I doubt it?
“Partly because, while most witches awaken around thirteen, for some reason you are only doing so now. At your age, it is much more difficult to instill discipline. But, difficulties for you will also arise simply because of who you are. Who your mother was.”
I feel like she’s talking in circles. “What do you mean?”
“That’s something we will have to discuss another day. Suffice it to say, your mother was also a very talented witch. But, there were demons in her past that she couldn’t outrun. When she knew her time was near, she made me promise to look after you, if and when you ever came into your powers.”
Tears prickle behind my eyes. My mother’s demons... I still can’t believe she killed herself. It doesn’t make sense. I’ve never seen
any signs of depression or insanity, and I was her daughter. I would know if she was unhappy, wouldn’t I?
But apparently I failed to see what was so blindingly obvious to everyone else.
“I made her a vow that I would help you, even though it was too late to help her. Make no mistake,” she says, her face is deadly serious. “I intend to keep my promise. You may not like my methods, but I will not allow you to follow in her footsteps.”
I follow Caiden out of the house in a daze. Before we leave, Caroline tells me that Caiden will mentor me for the foreseeable future. I don’t know who looks more appalled. He stares at Caroline like she’s lost her mind, but in the end, he doesn’t protest.
The rain lets up to a light drizzle, but the roiling clouds still look ominous as we drive away. When we get back to my house, Caiden tells me we’ll have to work out a meeting time for next week to ‘begin my training’. Still in shock, I nod numbly and climb out of his car.
I don’t take more than two steps through my front door before I’m swept up into a crushing hug, bright copper hair blotting out my vision.
“Oh my God, Em, where were you?” Olivia shrieks at me.
“Emerson?” My dad walks down the hall from out of the kitchen, his wavy blond hair disheveled, like he’s been running his hands through it. “Where have you been? Olivia showed up, trying to find you. You left your cell in your room – we couldn’t get a hold of you.” His dark brown eyes look at me in disapproval.
“Sorry, I was with a friend,” I say evasively. “So, you’re home then?” I can’t help feeling bitter. He leaves me on my birthday, and the first thing he does is yell at me for not being home when he happens to get back. How unfair is that?
“Yeah, I just got in. Sorry I had to leave town on such short notice. Happy birthday.” Olivia steps back so he can give me an awkward hug. “Did you have a good time?”
Not sure how to answer that, I try for a smile, but it must not look convincing.
“Is something wrong? You look upset.” His eyes study my face, taking in my too pale cheeks and the bruises beneath my eyes.
‘Um,” I fumble for a believable excuse. Looking at Olivia gives me an idea. “Sebastian and I had a fight.” That’s at least true. It’s strange, but I haven’t thought about him all night. I guess almost killing a girl understandably trumps any drama with my boyfriend.
“Oh. I’m sorry Em... I’m sure you guys will work it out.” He clears his throat, looking away. Relationships are not his specialty. Without another word, he heads back into the kitchen, probably grabbing some coffee before heading back into the office. Saturdays for him are just another work day.
Olivia immediately pushes me up the stairs. Once we’re in the safety of my bedroom, she stares at me, appalled.
“What the hell were you just doing with Caiden?”
Chapter 6
At a loss for words, I turn away and look out the window. How do I explain this without sounding like a lunatic?
“Em! What are you doing? Are you and Caiden dating or something? Because if you are, you need to tell Sebastian. It isn’t fair to string him along like this...”
I turn back to her in revulsion. “Dating Caiden? No way, Olivia.” I recall his callous behavior last night, how he would have allowed Sarah to die if I didn’t agree to meet Caroline. I shudder. “I’m definitely not into Caiden.”
“Then what was last night about, huh? And how come you’re going on early morning drives with him all of a sudden? I mean, I just don’t get it...”
The only way to fix this is to give her a part of the truth. How much should I tell her? Will she think I’m insane?
”Look, it has to do with my mom, okay? And you have to promise not to tell Sebastian about any of this!”
“What does your mom have to do with Caiden?”
“He knows someone who was friends with her when we first moved here.”
Olivia raises her eyebrows. “And?”
“And, well, I had to go meet her. I thought maybe she would know something about how she died.”
“Em... your mom killed herself, remember?” Despite the gentle tone, her words are a twisting knife in my gut.
“I know that’s what everyone thinks, but...” I fumble to explain. “I know how it looked... But you didn’t know her. None of you did. She wouldn’t have killed herself.”
Olivia sits down on my bed and stares fixedly at her knees. “I know this has been hard on you, I do. But you need to let it go,” she pleads with me. “You need to live in the present. These last few years, I know you’ve been dwelling on this. You’ve never accepted it. But the police reports, the eyewitness statements... Those things don’t lie.”
I clench my teeth, trying to reign in my anger.
She looks up and continues. “And now, out of the blue, this guy shows up – the same one who was talking about a cult yesterday, remember? And tells you he has information on your mom…” Her voice drips with cynicism.
“I know you think I’m crazy. Hell, the whole town’s thought that ever since my mom died. But I’m not. And whether you believe me or not doesn’t matter. I had to go with Caiden today to meet her.”
“And what did she say?” She asks softly, eyes pitying.
I give a bitter laugh. “The same thing as everyone else. That she had ‘demons in her past’.”
Olivia stays silent. I glare back out the window, waiting for her to say ‘I told you so’. But she doesn’t.
“Alright then. So, it’s done?” I don’t know how to answer that, so I continue to stare out at the rain.
“Good,” she says, taking my silence as affirmation. “Now, let’s talk about last night.”
“Liv, I’m really not up for that right now...”
“Fine, then I’ll talk and you can listen about my date from hell and feel sorry for me.”
“Date?” I turn around, intrigued. As a distraction, this one’s pretty good. “Are we talking about that guy who was all over you?”
“His name’s Dan...”
“Oh my God, Olivia Scott! Are you blushing? I never thought I’d see the day!”
“Oh, shut up. Did you want to hear the story or not?” She throws a pillow at me. I catch it and join her on the bed, eager for details.
“Sorry, sorry, continue.” It feels good to laugh again.
“Well, I met Dan through a friend of a friend and I told him I was going to be at that party tonight if he wanted to stop by...”
“Is this the same guy you’re going out with tonight? The one you needed an outfit for?”
“Um, no. Different guy.”
“You little hussy,” I tsk and she hits me with the pillow again. “Sorry, I’ll shut up now.”
“Hmph. As I was saying. So I invited him and obviously he showed up. We seemed to be hitting it off, so when he asked me to go for a walk, I agreed.” She pauses, fidgeting nervously. “I thought we’d probably make out a little, you know, but I wasn’t going to sleep with him. I mean, we just met!” She hesitates again.
“Makes sense,” I say to prompt her.
“Well, he had a different idea I guess...”
“Don’t tell me he tried to force you,” I growl. No way. Olivia would have kicked the shit out of him if he did.
“Not force, exactly... He was just really persistent. I told him no, that I don’t go around having sex on the first date... And he said he never goes on a second date until he’s ‘tested the merchandise’. His exact words.” She shudders.
“You’ve gotta be kidding! ‘Tested the merchandise’? What are you, a car he’s buying? What did you do?”
“I kneed him in the balls.” We both laugh. “Then I heard the commotion with you and Seb... I left a few minutes after you. I was going to give you a ride home, but I couldn’t find you.” Suspicion enters her eyes.
“Too bad I left so soon. I would’ve liked to get my hands on him. I could've given him a black eye to match his limp... Seriously, how do you find these guys
, Liv?”
“Yeah, I know. Hopefully tonight’s date is better. We can’t all be as lucky with guys as you are...” She trails off, clearly fishing for information about the Sebastian situation.
“Yeah well, you saw how well that’s going, huh?”
“So... are we allowed to talk about it then?” She nudges my shoulder with hers gently.
What the hell. She’s known Seb longer than I have; I met him through her. Maybe I can get some insight into his bizarre behavior.
“Yeah. Fine. So, you know how I was having those dizzy spells yesterday? Well, it happened again at the party, and guess who I just happened to land on?”
“Caiden?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Yup. I didn’t mean to, he was just there and helped me outside. I mean, I couldn’t even see where I was going it was so bad. Then I got sick, and by the time my stomach stopped convulsing, Seb was outside looking for me. When he saw Caiden, everything just went to hell... I mean, you should have seen the way Sebastian acted! He went completely berserk! He attacked Caiden and, well, you saw the rest...” Olivia makes a sympathetic noise, but suspicion is still scrawled all over her face.
“Yeah, I did see the rest, and I gotta say... I’ve never seen him get that worked up over anyone before. He really likes you. You can’t exactly blame him for blowing up the way he did. What would you have done, if you found him somewhere secluded with Sarah Bell? You know you’d at least take a swing at her.”
I flinch at the mention of Sarah. My hatred of her is well known, but after what happened last night, I can’t even crack a smile at Olivia’s joke.
“I see your point, but he was completely out of line. He didn’t even let me explain, he just took a dive off the deep end. He snarled at me!”
She’s quiet for a minute, eyebrows drawn together in thought. “So, there really isn’t anything going on between you and Caiden?”
“How many times do I have to tell you? No, there’s nothing going on with us. But...” I hesitate.
Silent Circle Page 5