“Dad, I need you to stay on point. I know it’s hard considering, your...your condition but I really do need your help and like you said we don’t have much time together.”
“Sorry, you’re right. Please son, continue.”
“As an inquisitor I’m bound to serve the high table. And it’s an oath I take very seriously. Problem is, the high table it's, I don’t think they are thinking for themselves. There’s this warlock, an Essex, I think he figured out a way to control them”
“Control them how?” asked Peter Torrance.
“I don’t know. I don’t even know for sure he is it’s just, I’ve seen him, I’ve seen how strange people act around him. Then just earlier this morning I saw him talk a gargoyle into putting a gun in its mouth and pull the trigger.”
Peter Torrance was quiet for a second before he responded. “That’s problematic. I may know what he’s using. It’s the Pupa or Puppet Spell. It’s very rare and highly illegal. I think it was Heinrich who found out about it. Some witch in Salem was using it during those damned witch trials in order to point witch hunters towards others instead of herself. It was in the Daemonum Liber Exponentia grimoire.”
“So I’m not crazy, he could be controlling other witches and warlocks. Even the high table?”
“It’s very possible. A spell like that, not many people know about it. So they’d have no real defense against it. Figures that a damn Essex would be the one to find it.”
“That’s not all,” said Inspector Torrance. “This Essex, who has control of the high table, he’s with the Cold Dawn. They’re looking for Heinrich’s spell.”
“Heinrich’s....” It took a moment for Peter Torrance’s ghost to recall what his son was talking about. His memory wasn’t completely gone like a ghost who died from murder or something traumatic but all spirits have somewhat murky memories. It took concentration, which took energy, which they have a limited supply of in the world of the living. “Oh no. That spell, the whole kill all humanity thing?”
“Yeah. What other spell would it be?”
“Alright, no reason to get snippy boy. It goes without saying you cannot let that happen.”
“But that would mean I have to act against the table.”
“It’s not the high table you’d be acting against. It’s this Essex. Did they have the spell? I know Heinrich hid it well. Only someone with his blood could find it.”
“Not yet, but it’s just a matter of time. But they sent another inquisitor to find it, a Talon.”
“Act fast son. Act decisively. And if worst comes to worst, well I’m sure your mother would love to see you. And I’ll...I am proud of you.”
“Thank you father.”
Inquisitor Torrance walked away as his father was sucked back into his tomb. He moved the weeds and vines out of the way and left his family crypt. As he walked through the graveyard towards the exit he was already formulating a plan. First he needed to find Lilith Blackward and the others he captured and delivered to Amadeus Essex. Sure, they’d be justifiably angry with him but they were the only allies he’d have in a fight he decided to undertake. And second, his thoughts were interrupted by the vibrating cell phone in his pocket.
Speak of the devil The incoming call was from Amadeus Essex.
“Yes, Mr. Essex,” answered Inquisitor Torrance, careful to keep his voice calm. The last thing he wanted to do was even hint to Amadeus that he was in the beginning stages of turning against him.
“Where are you!” Amadeus yelled. It was the first time he heard the eccentrically evil Essex raise his voice.
“In town.”
“They escaped. They’re gone. My pretties have flown the damn coop.”
“What’re you talking about sir?”
“The Blackward girl and her friends. They’re gone!”
CHAPTER 3: OLD GROWTH
“You sure about this dear?” asked Aunt Rose as she drove her car through the narrow winding streets of the Pacific Coast Highway. They were hours north of Devil’s End.
Not really Lilith thought as she stared out the back seat driver’s side window. The scenery was breath taking. To the right were the mountains of central and northern California. To her left, out the glass, she saw sheer cliffs and rocky, sky blue waters.
“It makes sense,” answered Sir Kain on behalf of Lilith. “Go to where the trees kiss the clouds and enter the matriarch’s embrace. That is what Winter said, correct? Clearly she meant for us to journey to a Redwood Forest.”
Eve knelt down instead of sitting down in the seat next to Lilith in the back. She very invasively sniffed at her friend. Her nose rubbed up under her armpits, and across her hair. Lilith was used to it at that point.
“You smell weird friend Lilith,” pointed out Eve. Lilith looked over at her and made contact with her wide innocent gray eyes.
“I smell like I was in a prison cell. Haven’t showered in awhile.”
“No,” Eve dramatically shook her head back and forth, her long tangled brown hair with it. “It’s not that. I like that stinky. You smell different. You are not the same.”
Yeah...? No kidding innocent Eve. And I dunno if that’s a good thing or a terrible thing.
“That right? Well, Evie baby, you smell like wet dog.”
Eve’s face lit up. “Thank you!”
“There’s Redwood forests all over Northern California. How do you know we have the right place?” Aunt Rose asked a fair question. “This was a long drive, it’d be a shame if we made it for nothing.”
“I promise you all we’re on the right track. Just look for the turn for Smuggler’s Cove,” reassured Lilith.
“I trust you Lilith. But how do you know. Rose is right, Redwoods are not so uncommon up here.” Sir Kain echoed Aunt Rose’s concerns.
“The matriarch part. Apparently locals used to think that there was a lone ancient Redwood in Smuggler’s Cove. It was so strong it could resist the degradation of salt water, maybe even live on it. They said its roots were so thick, so strong they burrowed through the rock of the mountains and fed a family of redwoods inland.”
Eve sat with her mouth open, transfixed on Lilith as she told a brief summary of what the Mother of the Forest was. Aunt Rose and Sir Kain listened but were no where near as focused on it.
“The locals called this mighty tree the ‘Mother of the Forest’ that gave birth to all the forests along this coast line.” Lilith finished her explanation.
“I see, ‘Go, to where the trees kiss the clouds and enter the matriarch’s embrace.’ That’s what Winter said right dear? I get it now.” Aunt Rose looked in the rear view mirror at her niece.
“It’s a bit more involved than all that little girl,” chimed in Older Lilith’s Ghost.
I don’t remember asking you.
“Maybe if you did we’d already have the stupid spell.”
Ugh, I hate arguing with myself!
“Let us hope we do not meet any resistance when we get there. I am sure I can speak for all of us when I say I have had enough of fighting.” Sir Kain echoed the group’s sentiments.
“Looks like this is it,” pointed out Aunt Rose as she saw a sign in the near distance. It was for Smuggler’s cove with an arrow pointing off the road, but not in the direction of the mountains but towards the cliffs and ocean.
Aunt Rose pulled the car over and parked it on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway. Part of its butt stuck out but it was fairly safe from getting nailed by an oncoming car. Everyone got out and walked back towards the sign to Smuggler’s Cove.
“Yeah, I’m not sure about this one,” said Aunt Rose as she reached the entrance to the trail to Smuggler’s Cove. Though it wasn’t as much a trail as it was a steep unforgiving mountainside that threatened sure death with one misstep. Needless to say the less nimble of the group was not thrilled with the prospect of going down it.
“That’s okay Aunt Rose. You can stay up here with the car, Sir Kain too.” Lilith stood at the start of the trail.
> “Nonsense I can join you.” Sir Kain wanted to come along.
“I don’t think it’s gonna get any easier as we go down. You’re strong but you’re not exactly agile man. Stay up here with Aunt Rose, protect her. We’ll be back before you know it.”
“Back from where!?” Eve was already so far down the trail she was almost out of sight.
“Looks like you have to catch up dear. We’ll keep watch, hurry up, do what you do, get those clues and then let’s go on to the next one.” Aunt Rose smiled at Lilith. It was a smile that always felt encouraging.
Lilith slowly and carefully climbed down the trail towards the water.
It was hard balancing the urgency of their situation and the time constraints when Lilith was surrounded by such beauty. Perfect sapphire water crashed and broke against rocks that jutted out of the waves. Little tide pools were formed on the rocks occupied by even smaller crabs and sea plant life. Even the sky was perfect that afternoon, not a cloud to be found.
“Look what I found!” yelled Eve. She was on a lone rock about ten feet out into the water with a still squirming fish in her hand. Lilith had no idea how she got there because she was as dry as Sir Kain’s sense of humor.
“Put the poor fish back Eve!” yelled Lilith back.
“But...” Eve looked dejected. Then her face lit up again. “We can eat it!”
Lilith sighed. “Sure, I guess. Go for it.” There were more important things to think about than Eve’s shenanigans. Foremost among them was finding the Mother of The Forest. First thing though she needed to find the actual cove.
If I was a betting woman I would put everything on that being the entrance to Smuggler’s Cove. Lilith’s attention was focused on what looked like a cave entrance. There was a weather and salt water worn wooden sign that hung on by a rusty nail above it. On it was a pirate symbol, skull and crossbones.
At first Lilith was a little concerned as she approached the cave entrance. There wasn’t any light coming out of it which made her think it was maybe a dead end. But concern never stopped her before. She went in, cell phone flashlight on to illuminate the way.
The cave was about as damp as Lilith expected. She shined her cell flashlight on stalactites and stalagmites and the occasional graffiti. Eve followed close behind, sniffing everything and investigating anything that smelled interesting. Still though, there was no sign of an exit.
Upset that she was possibly heading towards a dead end and sore from the physical excursion of getting that far, Lilith sat down on one of the few semi-flat surfaces in the cave. She took a moment to think about what she was possibly missing. There was no sign of a single tree anywhere near the water and rocks. She didn’t see anything on her way down the trail. In fact the only sign of anything interesting came from other visitors tagging the wa-
The walls! Lilith shined her light on the cave walls. The graffiti on there was more than phallic symbols and people tagging their names. There were arrows pointing towards something. Reinvigorated by the possibility of what those arrows were pointing to, the young detective got up and followed them.
The spray painted arrows on the cave walls pointed Lilith towards an opening in the cave. While it was great that when she looked up she saw a cave ceiling covered in thick tree roots and instead of a floor under it was water. It was an opening into what could’ve been open water or even more dangerous an underwater cave. Problem was, Lilith wasn’t exactly a strong swimmer.
“This looks fun friend Lilith. Are we going in?” asked Eve as she already started taking off her shoes.
Yeah Lilith, are you guys going in? Lilith stared at the water, then looked over at Eve who was down to her underwear, then back at the water. You can’t let this stop you. Cast a spell, put a bubble of air over your head. You’ll be fine. So why aren’t you getting ready to go in?
“You’re scared?” asked Eve. She looked concerned. With a hop and a jump she was next to Lilith.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not scared.”
“You smell scared.”
“I...what?”
“You smell scared. I can smell your sweat.”
“That’s really creepy and gross. Please stop smelling me.”
“I can’t help it,” said Eve as she shrugged her shoulders.
“I’m not scared.”
“Okay, let’s go in then,” Eve walked over to the edge of the water.
“Okay, you're right...I am scared. I’m not good at it.”
“At what?” Eve looked back at Lilith.
“Swimming.”
“Oh! That’s all? I’m a really good swimmer. I’ll carry you friend Lilith!”
Uh Uh. Not happening. No way I’m gonna-
“Okay, you ready!” Eve waded in the water. Lilith treaded water right next to her.
“No.”
“It’s easy. Just get on my back,” Eve turned and presented her back from Lilith to climb on to.
I can’t believe I’m even considering this. “One second. First we need to be able to breath down there.”
“I can hold my breath!” Eve was very confident.
“No reason to do so if you don’t have to. Ria selbbub ni sdaeh ruo flugne,” Lilith recited a spell and second later bubbles of air appeared and encased both her and Eve’s heads. Scared at first by said bubble suddenly appearing around her noggin, Eve quickly calmed down after Lilith’s reassurances that it was a good thing.
“Okay. One, Tw-” Eve started a countdown, voice distorted by the bubble, with Lilith holding on to her surprisingly strong and muscular shoulders. She didn’t finish it before diving down.
The air bubble not only served as a way to breath under water, but it provided Eve and Lilith’s eyes protection from the water making it fairly easy to see. It would’ve been pitch dark if not from the sun penetrating through the water a little ways away.
“Follow the roots,” instructed Lilith as Eve didn’t really seem to know where to go. As dim as the young werewolf woman might’ve been, she was very good at following orders.
Eve didn’t have to search from the tree roots. They were everywhere, hugging the rocks, even under the salty Pacific Ocean. She followed them along a wall, seemingly unencumbered by the extra weight on her back. She doggie paddled of course.
The tree roots suddenly stopped along the wall at an entrance to a underwater cave. Lilith had to make a quick risk assessment. There was no telling how far into the cave they would have to go. Nor was there anyway of knowing if there was anywhere to surface or if it led to the Mother of the Forest. And the air bubbles had limits. Still, she decided for the both of them that they were going to risk it.
Eve’s confidence clearly waned the farther they went into the underwater cave. It wasn’t because she didn’t believe in her swimming or skills or that she was afraid of losing track of the tree root. It was because it was getting darker and the cave was getting tighter and tighter the further they went.
Both Eve and Lilith spotted hope in the near distance. There was a light shining down through the dark of the underwater cave. It served as a beacon as it was getting harder to breath in the bubble and swim between the narrow space. Lilith had to get off of Eve’s back and swim on her own for the home stretch.
As the underwater cave became narrower, Lilith’s heart beat quickened. It wasn’t long before her knees and elbows scraped on the walls, ceiling and floor. By the time she reached the end she had to literally squeeze through bursting her bubble.
Slightly panicked and desperate for air, Lilith, out of the underwater cave found herself out in the ocean, trying to surface. She paddled hard upwards, legs kicking wildly. Finally her head emerged out from the waves.
That’s gotta be it. It better be because I’m done. Lilith wiped the water from her face and looked up. Gone was the the Pacific Coast highway and the cliffs. Instead there was just a single island surrounded on all sides by open ocean. In the middle of the island was a single ancient redwood, bigger than any tree she’d eve
r seen before. The top almost looked like it touched the sun.
Eve's bubble had burst as well and the two swam, or dog-paddled, to the island.
“We made it!” Eve excitedly jumped around on the island before shaking her whole body like a dog trying to get dry.
Lilith swam over to the island and climbed ashore. The very ground beneath her feet was soft, almost luxurious. There was not a bird or bug in sight or within earshot. She walked up to the great tree.
“The Mother of the Forest huh?” Lilith stood at the trunk of the tree and looked up. So why did you send me here Winter? She noticed sunlight bleed through one part. Is it hollow?
Eve ran around the island like a maniac as Lilith tried to find a way inside The Mother of the Forest. On the opposite side from where she came ashore, she found a small, child sized opening. Having already come that far, she crawled through it.
This is amazing. Maybe not worth almost drowning in a underwater cave but... Lilith stood up inside the massive redwood tree. She was right, the entire interior was hollowed out. When she looked up she saw the sun through the opening at the top.
“This is nothing. I can show you what is hidden,” OLG spoke up. “Let me take the wheel for a second.”
Yeah, no, I don’t think so.
“Fine. Have it your way. Good luck finding your clue here and get comfortable. You’re gonna be here for awhile.”
And what? You know what to do?
“Of course little girl. I’ve already lived this, remember?”
Lilith couldn’t deny that the ghost of her older self had a good point. With her memory restored, her passenger had a lot more insight into what was going on than she did. In fact, she could probably just tell her where Heinrich Talon’s spell is. Or at the very least she could tell her who does know where it is.
Fine. But only for a second. After looking around the inside of The Mother of the Forest and seeing nothing but plain tree bark, Lilith caved in. Yes, the ghost of her older self was dangerous but at the same time she did or should’ve had the knowledge to help. She just needed to be careful and keep at least one hand on the wheel.
To Hex With It Page 2
