by Naomi Sparks
The woman nods, and takes a seat at a small table. She picks up a kettle and pours a liberal amount into three glasses, then slides one toward me and one toward Gabrielle, keeping the third for herself.
I reach out and take Gabrielle's hand in mine, squeezing it in support. Gabrielle takes a deep breath, and I can feel her bracing herself. "Why am I here, Valetta?" she asks the woman. "What do you know about my daughter? And why should I trust you after everything you did?"
The old woman, Valetta, opens her mouth to respond. But, before she can, a door to our left bursts open, and three women rush through. Each one looks about as old as Valetta. Before I can even react, they've circled around Gabrielle and are fussing over her.
Gabrielle has gone rigid, her mouth hanging open slightly. Her body trembles and my dragon surges up inside me. I tighten my grip on her hand, pulling her tighter against me, glaring at these new women as they all babble at the same time, their words blending together.
Gabrielle looks up and locks eyes with me, shaking her head slightly, and I relax my grip. Something in her gaze tells me she knows these women too, and while she may not be comfortable with them, she doesn't consider them a threat.
"Enough," Valetta says. Her voice isn't loud, but it's firm, and the other three women separate immediately. Two of them walk over to the table and pick up the cups of tea, then bring them over to us.
I frown at the cup presented to me, not sure I should take it. I don't know any of these people. While I doubt they have anything strong enough to kill me, there could be something in there to weaken me, to make it easier for them to get whatever they want from Gabrielle.
"It's safe, I promise," Valetta says, taking a sip from her own cup.
Frowning, I sniff at the cup, fighting back the urge to recoil at the scent. It may not be poison, but it doesn't smell very good either. But when Gabrielle raises it to her lips and takes a sip, I figure I should do the same.
The bitter taste hits me almost instantly. I shudder, closing my eyes and trying not to immediately spit it out. Somehow, I manage to swallow it. Gods above, it tastes horrible. How the hell does Valetta drink this shit?
Then, I glance over at Gabrielle and see her eagerly drinking it as well. She has her eyes closed, a happy smile on her face as she continues to sip at the tea. "It tastes wonderful," she says after a few more moments. "Just like I remember it."
"Well, the recipe has been the same since long before you were born," Valetta says, her own lips curving up into the slightest smile.
Gabrielle looks over at me and smiles. "I used to drink this every day growing up. It was my favorite thing." For a moment, she seems lost in those happy memories. Then, her face clouds over as she turns to Gabrielle and glares at the woman.
The other three all look at each other, then burst into tears. One of them crosses over to Gabrielle, taking her hands as she begs for Gabrielle's forgiveness. The other two join her moments later, crowding around poor Gabrielle, begging her to forgive them. Gabrielle looks too shell-shocked for a response.
"Enough," Valetta says at last. Her face is stoic and neutral, but it looks like it takes an effort to force her features to remain neutral. "Merida, Nellie, Ethyl, sit," Valetta commands, and the three women quickly move to obey. They may all be about the same age, but there's no doubt Valetta is in charge.
"What is going on?" Gabrielle demands. "You abandoned me when I was just a child. I never saw hide nor hair of you again after that. Why? And why would you come back into my life now?"
Poor Gabrielle looks like she's about to burst into tears. She keeps her back straight, her shoulders pulled back. Gabrielle may be on the verge of tears but won't give in. She's a strong one.
I take a step over, standing shoulder to shoulder with her, offering my silent support. I want to carry her away from her, to keep her safe from these people who hurt her so much when she was just a child. But until Gabrielle's ready to leave, I'll stay by her side, will do what I can to make sure they never hurt her again.
Merida, Nellie, and Ethyl all start chattering at once. This time, they're talking to each other and Valetta, not Gabrielle. Valetta does not respond. She remains quiet, sipping at her tea, watching everything unfold around her. Something about this woman has my senses on high alert. I can't put my finger on what about her has me so anxious, but I stay ready, ready for anything.
I'm not sure what powers this witch may have, but should she attempt to turn them against Gabrielle or me, I was ready to launch myself across the room at the woman and rip her to shreds. My dragon lurks just below the surface, waiting for a chance to be free again. I'm not as old as Lex or Galen, but I'm a member of the strongest species to ever walk this planet. I may be young, but I would not let anyone hurt Gabrielle, not these witches, not Amasis, not anyone.
"Enough," Valetta says. Her voice now is calm and gentle yet firm. When she sets her teacup down on the table, the three women go silent. Valetta looks only at Gabrielle as if the rest of us no longer exist. "I do not regret what I did, my child. I wish there had been another way, but if I had to go back in time, I would make the same decision over again. I did what I did to protect you."
"Protect me? From what?" Gabrielle's voice shakes. She's barely holding herself together now.
I squeeze her hand, pushing some of my strength into her. It's not a lot, but it's the best I can do for her right now. I'd never had any trouble dealing with upset women in the past. Usually, I always knew the right things to say to ease their minds, to calm their bodies. With Gabrielle, nothing comes to mind. I have no idea how to help her right now.
Valetta lets out a sigh. She looks at the teacup in front of her for a long moment. When she looks up at Gabrielle again, her face is still in that neutral mask, but I can see the pain in her eyes. "You aren't an ordinary human. Nor are you simply a witch as we are... Your mother fell in love with a man she shouldn't have, a dragon. His blood courses through your veins. I made the decision to hide you amongst the humans to keep you safe, to protect you against them. I've seen what they do to women with power. They'd have taken you when you were young, taken and used you. I only wish that I'd been able to keep you safe longer to keep you away from them for good."
Tears stream down Gabrielle's cheeks now. She brushes them away with the back of her hand, then glares at the old woman. "Why now then? Why did you suddenly come back into my life after all these years?"
It takes all of my strength not to wrap my arms around Gabrielle and whisk her away from here. Seeing her grandmother again seems to have opened old wounds, and I hate to see her hurting like this. But, at the same time, if this is where she's supposed to be, then I just have to trust in fate, trust in whatever greater power gives Hannah these visions.
If it can help her get her child back, then I owe it to her to stand by her, to stay close to her, and give her as much strength as I can.
"I saw you," one of the old women says, sitting up straighter. Tears are streaming down her face. "When you were being held by that dragon. I saw you as his captive, saw the birth of your daughter. And I saw them take her from you."
"After Nellie told us about her vision, we joined our powers together in an attempt to see into the future. Nellie can see the present, but none of us are blessed with the gift of foresight, but with our powers together, we can get glimpses of it. We saw you coming to us now. The vision was vague, not showing us nearly enough, but after a long discussion, we've made a decision."
"And what is this decision?" Gabrielle asks, sneering at the woman. Clearly, she's not impressed or satisfied with the answers she's gotten yet. And I can't really blame her. So far, we've just had two visions of the future showing her here. The tears have stopped flowing now, and I can feel anger replacing them.
I push more of my energy into her, trying to calm her.
The three old witches all look at Valetta now. They all look anxious, which doesn't do much to help my own anxiety. Valetta picks up her teacup again and takes another
sip. When she sets it back down, she sits up a bit straighter. Her gaze is still locked on Gabrielle, as if I'm not even on the same planet as them.
"We have decided it is time to reverse the spell we cast that binds your magic. We hope that it will give you a fighting chance against the dragons. Now that you're older, now that they know of your existence, we want to do what we can to help you get your daughter back."
Gabrielle goes stiff, staring at Valetta. Her mouth hangs open, her eyes look blank, as she processes what Valetta just said. Something tells me Gabrielle wasn't even aware she'd had magic. Hell, I certainly wasn't. I'd felt nothing from her, not even the tiniest spark. In the back of my mind, I knew she had to have magic, otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to carry the child of a dragon.
"M...m...magic?" she asks, her voice trembling. "I don't have any magic!" Despite her insistence, her voice continues to quaver, like she doesn't quite believe her own words.
"Yes, you do," Valetta says, standing from the table. The other three women stand as well. "Now, come. And we'll unleash it."
6
Gabrielle
For a long while, all I can do is stand there and stare at Valetta. Surely she has to be joking. I don't have any magic. I never have had any magic. I'd been surprised by getting pregnant with a dragon's child, much less carrying it to term. I'd wondered why I'd been able to do it when other women, Fae, and witches, had died in the process.
And now, Valetta tells me I do have magic, and it's the reason she abandoned me in the middle of a shopping mall when I was only seven years old.
I don't want to believe it. If I had magic, I wouldn't have had such a shitty childhood. If I had magic, I wouldn't have been captured and tortured by the dragons. There's no way I have magic. It can't be true.
"Are you coming?" Valetta asks, standing near the door Nellie, Ethyl, and Merida had come from.
But I don't follow her. I stand there and shake my head, I can't bring myself to move. All I can do is think about everything she just said to me, and try to wrap my head around it all.
"My father...." I say, my eyes staring at the teacup in my hand. It's the only thing I can focus on right now. Even with Ezra standing right next to me, offering his silent support, I can barely keep myself together. "You told me you never knew anything about it. That was a lie, wasn't it?"
There's no response, at least, not right away. It seems like hours tick by as silence fills the room. I can hear shuffling, and it sounds like my aunties are shifting from foot to foot, but I don't dare look up at them. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep myself together if I have to look at them.
Valetta lets out a sigh. I can hear the impatience in it, her frustration with me. It's a sound I hadn't heard since I was a child, but it's still so familiar. I thought I'd long ago forgotten about these people, but in such a short time, all of those memories have come flooding back to me.
"Yes, it was another lie. To protect you." Valetta's voice sounds strained, annoyed even. She sounds like she's talking to a stubborn child. I was a stubborn child back then, no sense in denying it. But I'm not a child anymore.
I look up and lock eyes with her. I take a deep breath and brace myself, squaring my shoulders. I can do this, I tell myself, over and over. "Who is he?"
I need to know. I've gone my entire life without knowing his name. Now, I want to know everything. If he's one of the dragons who held me captive, I want to know. If he's not, I want to know that too. No matter who he is, I deserve to know his name, at least.
"He is a powerful one. Your mother called him Yin."
Ezra goes stiff beside me. Immediately, I look over at him. He's staring at Valetta in shock, his mouth hanging open. His entire body looks tense like he's expecting an attack at any moment.
"You know him?" I ask, holding my breath. If just the man's name has Ezra this on edge, then I'm not sure how much more I want to know.
Ezra nods. He takes a couple deep breaths before he speaks. "Jia Yin. He's one of Amasis's advisors. He's one of the older dragons in the Clutch." Ezra's jaw clenches, his hands balling into fists. "If he knows you're his daughter, I doubt he's going to be pleased about you being taken from the facility."
Closing my eyes, I think back to my time as their captive. Outside of the medical staff, few dragons interacted with those of us being used in the breeding program. One, in particular, stands out. A tall Asian man came to visit me regularly. He never told me anything about himself, not even his name. But he didn't need to. I can still remember the disappointed look on his face every time he came to visit.
It was Yin. It just had to be. No doubt, he was disappointed due to my lack of power.
I shake my head, looking up to meet Ezra's gaze. "I doubt he cares. He has what he wanted from me, my daughter."
I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders again. If Yin is the one who has Olivia, then I won't stop until he's dead, and my daughter is back. When I turn my gaze back to Valetta, she is still watching me with that impatient look on her face. "How do we undo this binding?" I ask.
If she's telling the truth, and I really do have magic, then I want it back.
"Follow me," Valetta says. She opens the door and steps through it. My aunties follow behind her. This time, I do, too, with Ezra right by my side. "We will have to perform a ceremony similar to the one we used to bind your powers."
Valetta leads us through what looks like a kitchen, then out another door into the backyard. The moment I step outside, I freeze in place. The moon is high overhead now, even though it'd still been early in the day when we'd gotten here. How had so much time passed without me noticing? Sure, certain moments had felt like hours were passing by, but I'd assume it was only an impression.
When I look over at Ezra, I notice he's frowning too. I guess I'm not the only one who had let time get away from me.
Veletta and the others seem unperturbed. They continue through the yard over to where a stone altar lay, illuminated by the moonlight. Valetta motions for me to walk over, and after glancing at Ezra, I do. I don't really recognize the altar, but something about it seems familiar. No doubt, a small part of my mind remembers the original ceremony, though it has faded from my conscious memory.
"You will have to undress and lay on the altar," Nellie instructs, gesturing at the large stone.
I freeze, staring at it. Then, my gaze flickers over to Ezra. I want my powers back, but I'm not too sure about getting undressed right in front of Ezra. Even though I'm glad he came with me on this trip, I still barely know him. At the same time, I don't want him to leave, either. He's been a good friend during the journey here, always watching out for me.
I want to trust Valetta and the others. Despite everything I went through because of them, I can't entirely escape the feelings I had for them growing up. That small part of me still yearns to be with them again, to be part of their little coven. But the sensible adult part of me knows that's silly. They'd stripped me of my powers, then dropped me off in the middle of a mall and left me, never even saying goodbye. It's because of them that I was defenseless against Yin and the other dragons.
Ezra seems to understand. He smiles at me and nods, squeezing my hand once more. "I'll keep watch. Make sure no one tries to sneak up on us." After another squeeze, he releases my hands and moves to stand a few feet away. He stands with his back to the altar, his eyes on the deserted road just barely visible in the moonlight.
I find myself smiling at him. I barely know him, and he's such a gentleman. Up until meeting him, I didn't think men like him actually existed. None of the men I'd met previously ever acted like him.
When I turn my gaze back to the coven, they're all moving around the altar, getting things ready. Merida has a pestle and mortar in her hands, grinding something up inside it. Part of me wants to ask what's in there, but the other part of me really doesn't want to know. That part of me wants me to just shut up, undress, and get this all over with.
That's the part of me that wins out.
As quick as I can, I shed all of my clothes, leaving them in a neat pile on the ground. It's warm outside, but I can't help but shudder as a cool breeze drifts by, peppering my skin with gooseflesh. For a minute, I stand still, eyes closed, breathing deeply, trying to get my nerves under control.
I can do this, I tell myself. For Olivia, I can do this. For Olivia, I can do anything.
I just hoped that is the truth.
Finally, I straighten and open my eyes. Ezra is still looking away, bless him, so I stride over toward the altar. Ethyl steps forward, offering me a hand, helping me up onto the stone. Despite the warmth of the evening, it's ice-cold, making me shiver. My heart pounds louder and harder now, and I wonder if I'm really doing the right thing by trusting these women.
I glance over at Ezra's back, wishing he was beside me right now, holding my hand again. I didn't realize how much he was helping until just now. Now, it takes all of my strength not to reach out for him, not to call for him. He's just across the yard, but he feels much farther away.
I'm not going to back out. Even if I am terrified, I'm going to see this through to the end. It's my shot at having the strength to get Olivia back from those monsters. If my powers are as strong as Valetta and the aunties claim, then I won't have to rely on Ezra and the others to get her back for me. I'll be able to do it myself, and hopefully, kill Yin in the process.
Merida steps forward, white porcelain bowl in hand. She pulls a small brush out of it and begins to paint symbols on my body. The mixture is even colder than the stone. Still, somehow, it seems to burn, like the symbols she's painting are simultaneously searing into my very being.
Closing my eyes, I grit my teeth, praying she'll be done soon. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible, but Merida slowly paints these symbols all over me. I lose all track of time as she works, my focus solely on trying to ignore the pain coursing through my veins. I want to call out for Ezra so badly, but I refuse.
