by Ciara Lake
“Stop asking me that.” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“Go away, Hecate. I detest you. You killed my sister and you dare to sit with me at a garden party. You’re probably causing the disturbing sensation in the air. So leave, or I’m going to make you sorry.”
“An Elemental threatens me? And remember this is a coven meeting, not a garden party, you moron.” She leaned close to him, and her eyes glowed red. “If they forgot to tell you, your sister lives now. The gods broke the rules of the universe for Lykoan. Stupid fools.”
“A Master Elemental.” Aetius was unmoved by her display of temper. “Faelan’s alive not due to anything you did. But because she lives, is why you’re still sitting next to me and not beneath the ground where I can put you. And I still might. I’m waiting for Zeus’s Council to issue your writ of execution or imprisonment along with Amuliana’s. Maybe in another thousand years, the council will do the right thing and punish you both like you deserve.”
“Elemental, I’m warning you. I’m a powerful goddess.”
“Are you reminding yourself?” He grinned. “Calm down, powerful goddess, you’ll start a panic with these mortals if you go all hideous here. And Zeus will be pissed. As far as the council, you’re already in the doghouse with Amuliana, and maybe it won’t take too much more to get your death warrant signed. In fact, if there weren’t so many mortals here, I’d put you down anyway without a writ. I wouldn’t be as judicious as Lykoan.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” She snarled. For a second, he saw the repulsiveness that was beneath her attractive façade.
“Gods, keep your fucking false face on.” He shook his head. “You should be very afraid of me.” He leaned toward her. A gust of wind pushed her back in her chair.
“Greetings, goddess.” Terra sat down in a chair at their table. “Good day.” She nodded toward Aetius. “What brings you both to this coven meeting?”
“So, you recognize me?” Hecate asked.
“Yes, goddess.”
Aetius offered her his hand. “I’m Aetius Easton. You did a great job speaking. Very informative.”
She accepted his hand and shook it. “Thank you, Mr. Easton.”
“Call me Aetius.”
“Okay, Aetius. I’m sure I didn’t tell you anything you didn’t already know.”
“Still, it was interesting.” He smiled.
“I’m surprised to see so many immortals here today.” She studied him with her large, brown eyes. Then Terra turned to focus on Hecate. “Goddess, I’m sure the witches who worship you would be honored to know you’re here.”
“Aren’t you honored?” Hecate smiled.
“No, not so much.” Terra shrugged.
“I see.” The goddess glared at her. “Due to so many mortals here, I’m keeping a low profile. And I’ll leave your disrespect unpunished this time. You’re lucky.”
“I’ll confess to God Dionysus you’re displeased with me.” Terra sat back in her chair and watched the other guests. “He can dispense my punishment.”
“Never mind, keep God Dionysus out of this.” Hecate groaned. “I’m going to leave now. I’ve had enough of this crowd.” She stood up and glared at both of them, then pointed at Terra. “And you waste your time talking about give and take to Mother Earth. What stupid propaganda you preach. You dishonor the art of being a witch, and I should know.”
“You don’t know anything about honor.” Aetius crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I’m glad you’re leaving.” He looked toward the exit leading into the house. “The door’s that way. Hurry up, and don’t come back anytime soon. Fucking stay away from me.”
“Such crude language.” She made a tsking sound. “I’m going to ignore you and leave. It’s been…a pleasure, Terra. Not really, but I like to practice my niceties.” Hecate turned and walked toward the house.
“Trust me, it wasn’t any sort of pleasure.” Aetius watched her leave through the French doors.
“That was strange for her to leave so abruptly. Do you feel the peculiar vibe in the air? It concerns me. Even the plants seem disturbed.” Terra rested her arms on the table.
“It’s probably Hecate’s presence disturbing them.”
“No, I don’t think so.” Terra shook her head. “She really did leave, and the feeling continues.” She bit her nail. “It’s like they know something ominous is coming.”
“I feel it too.” Aetius sat up straighter in his chair to scan the area. “And very few things make me on edge.” The wind picked up and blew chaotically for a few moments, then it settled. “This isn’t good. There’s another immortal here, and not a nice one. One whose energy I haven’t felt in a very long time.”
“What or who?” Terra’s eyes widened as she glanced around the area too.
“An Empusa. She’s a vicious shape-shifter and one of Hecate’s many daughters.”
“I think I’ve vaguely heard that name before.”
“There’s not much known about the Empusai in our modern day.”
“Should we be concerned? Vicious isn’t a good description.” Terra bit her other nails.
“Yes, even Hecate left for a reason. The Empusa can be combative even with Hecate. The witch goddess has a love-hate relationship with all her children. The Empusa eats mortals.”
“Excuse me, eats them? Are you joking?”
“No. Unfortunately, I’m not.”
“You mean she’s a vampire?” Terra asked.
“Nope, much worse.”
“Worse?”
“Yes, she has a meal on their souls and dessert on their flesh. There’s literally nothing left when she’s done. Nothing to even go to the afterlife.”
“Dear gods.” Terra put her hand on her chest. “That’s scary at a new level.”
“Yes.” He nodded as he continued to inspect the people in the crowd. “No doubt, someone here has summoned her and negotiated a deal to provide mortals in exchange for something. They often engage in such activity.”
“Exchange for what?”
“Power, or the use of her magic. I haven’t heard of anyone summoning her in a long time. The results are usually unpredictable. It takes a vicious person with a lot of guts to summon this monster, or an idiot.”
“Perhaps a combination of all of those things.” Terra quickly scanned the room.
“Exactly.”
Lucy was heading to the front of the group. She approached the podium. Before she started to speak she patted her perfectly coifed hair.
Terra leaned closer to Aetius and whispered, “She looks younger.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Hello, all. I hope you’re enjoying your meal. Please help yourself to more if you like. I want to introduce you to a dear friend of mine. She’s a high priestess and sorceress from Toronto. She’s here to provide guidance to all the local covens in the art of magics. I know so many of you are interested in the magical arts. Please welcome Emaline Hechicera.”
Lucy stepped back from the podium and clapped. She motioned to a tall woman with vibrant red hair to approach the podium. She was dressed in a tailored, black pant suit. She wore a stunning golden, diamond-encrusted wiccan pendant symbolizing Hecate. She was stylish in a new-aged way.
A chilly breeze blew past them. Terra looked to Aetius.
He shrugged. “I’m not influencing the wind, this time.” He leaned closer to her. He inhaled her unique, spicy sweet scent. It reminded him of freshly ground cinnamon and oranges, a combination he particularly appreciated.
“That’s a bad omen.” Her eyes met his.
“Yes.” Aetius pushed his hair back off his forehead. “What evil work is at hand?”
Emaline glanced at him as if she’d heard his comments. She lifted her hands up toward the sky and gazed up. Then she looked back at the audience. “Blessed be.” Emaline placed both of her hands on the podium. She sweetly smiled at the group. “It’s so good to be here on this beautiful day.” She glanced at Lucy. �
�Thank you, Lucy, for the gracious invitation and the marvelous meal you’ve provided. What’s on your menu looks delicious. I’m glad I came hungry.” She winked at Aetius.
“Damn, she’s brazen,” he said under his breath.
Emaline turned and glanced at the banister behind her. “It’s too bad our mother Goddess Hecate got smashed to pieces by the wind.” Her gaze swept over Aetius again. “Sorry, Hecate, you know the elements, the wind can be wayward at times.” Another hawk squawked overhead. “I wanted to let you all know that I’ll be in town for some time. I’ll be here for the Beltane celebration Lucy is hosting here on her property. All of you must attend that awesome event. We’ll bring in summer together. I’m staying with the lovely Lucy and her husband. I’ll be giving seminars on magic and its uses. My Curriculum Vitae is available with the signup sheets on the table right inside the house.” She moved from around the podium and approached the audience. “I’m truly looking forward to getting to know many of you.” She casually leaned against the table. “Please write your name and address on the sheet I provided. I’ll be contacting you to provide you with more class information.”
“She has a Curriculum Vitae?” Terra whispered to Aetius.
“Yep, she graduated from the Depths of Hell University.” He watched Emaline carefully. For moment Terra seemed as if she believed him. “I’m kidding.”
“Oh, good. I wasn’t sure. There’s lots I don’t know.”
“Wonderful. We appreciate all you can provide to us, Priestess Emaline.” Lucy stepped in front of her and clapped once again. “Thanks so much, everyone, for coming. Please continue to socialize. Priestess Emaline will be mingling among you and greeting all of you. Our meeting is officially adjourned. We’ll see you at the Beltane celebration here on May first. A flyer with more information is also on the back table. Stay as long as you wish to socialize. Get to know Emaline. She’s a source of great information.”
“I wish it would rain and put a literal damper on this doomed gathering.” Terra sighed.
“That’s an idea.” He grinned.
She grinned back, making him feel like a youth. “The rain would send some of the mortals home, so they’d avoid her.” Terra put her elbows on the glass table. “I’m thinking Emaline was invited by Lucy. She must be making her look younger.”
“It’s rain you want?” Aetius lightly touched her arm. Terra was warm, and her skin was as soft as a rose petal. “If rain is what you wish, my beautiful witch...” At first only a few large drops fell, followed by a downpour.
Terra looked up. “Perfect. This is perfect.” She laughed.
Wind pushed the clouds over the sun. The group quickly got up and rushed to the doorway leading into the house. “Damn it,” Lucy shouted. “Where did this fucking rain come from? There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.”
“Come on, let’s go this way.” He offered his hand, and Terra accepted it. This time when they touched a rush of energy passed between them, making his gut warm. They both paused for a moment to glance at each other. “Let’s go!” They made their way off the deck using the back steps. “Which car is yours?” he asked as they walked around to the front of the house.
“It’s the red jeep.” She pulled on his hand as she led him toward her car.
A pleasant tingling sensation from her hand flowed up his arm. When the sensation reached his heart, he was warmed all over, expanding past his gut. Other guests were rushing out Lucy’s front door and running to their cars.
“I’m glad they’re not going to stay.” Terra glanced over at Aetius.
He nodded. “Yes, your plan worked, for now. But they’ll be back for the Beltane Festival, and it will be a smorgasbord for the Empusa.”
Terra frowned. “It will be. We can’t let that happen.”
Aetius saw Emaline watching them as if she knew he had caused the rain. She was standing on the roofed front porch, glaring directly at him. “I’ll let Zeus know she’s preying on these mortals. If Lucy has summoned her, she should be punished too.”
Aetius summoned a gust of wind. It was so strong it blew Emaline off the porch and into the bushes under the front window. The other women shrieked as they raced to help Emaline.
“I agree, Lucy will have to be stopped and punished too,” he said. “But the mortal will be, no doubt, punished by Emaline. The Empusa always turns on those who summon her.”
“Did you cause Emaline to fall off the porch?” She glanced over at him.
“Yep, I sure did. It was very satisfying for a variety of reasons.”
“I feel satisfied too. Here’s my car.” She hit the button on her key fob, and the car beeped as it unlocked. “Get in.”
They both climbed into the car, Aetius was in the passenger’s seat. “I tried to keep us as dry as possible. Nice car. I like jeeps.” He touched the leather-covered dashboard.
“You control the wind and the rain? That’s a bit uncommon.”
“Yes, I control all the elements.”
“Wow, you’re special and powerful. Where’s your car?”
“I didn’t drive.”
“Oh, I see. You flashed here? The immortal method of travel.” She laughed. “We’d better get out of here.” She started the car.
“Yes, Emaline’s pissed at me now.”
Terra turned into the yard and circled back to the driveway.
“You kinda messed up Lucy’s perfect yard,” he observed.
“No problem, I’ll fix it.” Terra headed down the driveway behind two other cars.
Aetius looked out his window and into his mirror. “I’ll tell the ground to smooth itself out.” He mentally instructed the earth to fix itself. Then he watched the grass grow over the exposed dirt. “Nice job.”
“Did the grass heal itself okay?” She glanced in the rearview mirror.
“Yep, we work together well. You do have a way with plants. That’s a wonderful talent.” He studied her side profile as she drove.
“You have a way with everything.” She pulled out onto the road. “We didn’t eat lunch.” Her stomach growled. “Oops, that was loud. Let’s stop at this diner I know. I’m starving.”
“Sounds good to me.” He smiled.
Chapter 4
The country roads were not heavily traveled, and the rain continued to fall. Aetius quietly observed Terra drive. She was a beautiful woman, and she gave off warm, comfortable vibes. She was not at all what he had expected, and he was very seldom surprised by anything.
Terra turned on the radio, and the song Come Rain or Come Shine played with Ray Charles singing. She started singing along with the radio, and Aetius joined her. When the song finished, they both laughed.
“We have great harmony.” Aetius shifted in his seat and looked in her direction. “I can tell you’re fun to be with.”
“Yes, we do have great harmony. You seem fun too.” She smiled at him. “We’re going to have to do something about the Empusa. I’m worried about her eating people.”
“She must be stopped. She’s going to harvest many souls. But usually she likes to get to know her victims first. She likes emotions associated with her kill. Like shock, despair, and betrayal. It makes the mortals taste sweeter. She’s a truly wicked monster. So, I hope we have some time for me to figure out what to do with her.”
“Can’t you just kill her?”
“No, I have to get permission from Zeus’s Council, because the Empusa are Hecate’s daughters. It’s very frustrating. I can imprison her though, because she’s a demi-goddess and not a goddess. Let’s have a good meal and prepare ourselves, then we’ll go get her.”
“This Empusa sounds awful and dangerous.” Terra gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white from the strain. “I’ll help you confront her.”
“I appreciate that, but I can do it myself. I don’t want you to get hurt. She’s a coward when facing a dangerous enemy. And she really fears me.”
“I can take care of myself.” Terra turned off the main highw
ay. She glanced over at him. “But you’re nice to be worried about me. Especially when you’ve only just met me.”
The rain stopped, and the sun came out as they entered the rural town. It was a quaint midwestern town. Old brick buildings lined the streets. Local people were out walking on the sidewalks, shopping. Terra parallel parked in front of a diner called The Spot.
“It’s the spot, huh?” He grinned at her.
“Yes, a very creative name I think.” She laughed.
“People must like it. It’s crowded.”
She turned off the car. “Yeah, there are only a few choices around here.”
“Not to rain on your choice, but I have another idea. Someplace special for a woman who loves nature, and who nature loves in return. When I look at you, I think of this special place.”
“You’re very funny, and you’re not raining on my choice. It was the only place available for miles. What’s your idea?”
“Do you trust me?” He cocked his head to the side as he looked at her.
“That’s a loaded question. I don’t trust anyone.”
“That’s sad.”
“It’s a result of my childhood.” She looked away.
“Yeah, I don’t trust anyone either.” He grinned. “It’s a result of my life too. Experiences can really mold a person. I guess we’re both basket cases. But you’re certainly a beautiful basket. I want to take you some place I’m betting you’ve never been, and there are few places more beautiful. A place where I believe you innately belong.”
“What do you mean innately belong?”
“You’ll see. Don’t think too hard, just trust me. Give me your hand.” He held his hand out for her. “I promise I won’t allow any harm to come to you.”
“Accepting what you promise involves trust. But considering I can take care of myself, let’s go.” She held her chin up then put her hand in his. “Take me to this mysterious place you think I innately belong. And I hope they have good food there.”
