Geez! I just didn't get him. He showed all the right signs but said all the wrong words. Maybe I was just looking into it too hard. Seb was a man; a strong man. Telling a girl how he felt shouldn't be that hard. After our earlier conversation, I was more certain he didn't love me.
And Jace—I didn’t even know where to begin. He had years to approach me, but he never did, even once. Now that I was back with a new appearance, he suddenly wanted me! Forget it! In my mind, it didn’t add up. Then again, Simon was a good judge of character, and he clearly trusted Jace. Argh! All this boy drama was making my head spin.
“We're here.” Jace said, bringing me back to the present.
I was so spaced out thinking about stupid boys I hadn't even noticed we were in the forest. We were deep in the forest from the looks of the surrounding trees.
We all got out and stood in front of the small old-looking wooden cottage. Wow, it looked exactly like my mother had explained in her story. Maybe she wasn't lying after all. Well, there was only one way to find out.
Cautiously, we all walked to the door. The sound of crunching leaves and twigs snapping was all that could be heard with each step. I raised my hand to knock once we reached the porch. The door, however, flew open before I could even touch it. I peeked at Jace who simply nodded for me to enter.
Slowly, I walked inside with Seb closely behind me and Jace after him. The place smelled like a mixture of herbs and something else. I knew I smelled this before. It was a scent that didn't smell quite human.
The wood floor creaked under my feet. I wondered if I should call out ‘hello’ or ‘hey witch!’ The latter seemed reasonable, but I stayed quiet and turned a corner, entering an old-fashioned kitchen.
Standing next to a large oak table was a very old-looking woman. Her hair was shoulder-length and white. She was dressed in a long purple gypsy skirt and adorned with multiple beaded necklaces and bracelets. Her gray eyes connected with mine, reading me like a book. It was then that I recognized her unusual scent. It was the same scent Verna carried. It only meant Verna was a witch too.
“Hello, Analise. You’re late. And it seems you brought Sebastian and my grandson too. Please take a seat,” she said, gesturing to the table.
My jaw dropped open. How did she kneww my name? Or Seb’s, who, by the way, hated being called Sebastian.
“Please sit and I'll give you the answers you are looking for,” she said.
My body rigidly followed her requests. The sound of four chairs scraping the ground could be heard as we all took a seat at the old table. Helia sat across the three of us.
“My name is Helia. I am the current crone of witches,” she said while never taking her wise eyes off me. It was kind of unnerving.
“Uh, what's a crone?” I asked, feeling a little embarrassed by my lack of knowledge in supernatural terms.
“It's the leader of witches; the highest title that comes with the most power.” Seb answered, staring at Helia.
The old woman smiled and nodded to him. “That is correct. My title gives me great power and knowledge.”
“What does any of this have to do with me? How do I fit into this?” I needed to know what was going on here.
Helia gave me a warm smile; the same one Verna used on me. I wonder if it was a witch thing.
“My dear, Analise. You are very special. But to understand your place, you must first know how the story began.” Helia said and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small vial. A swirling metallic-green liquid was inside.
I watched curiously as she poured one single droplet onto the table. Upon impact it, shimmered brightly as it swirled into a ball.
It looked cool, but what was it?
My question was answered when an image began to appear. It was blurry at first, but it soon cleared. It was like she turned the table into a TV monitor. The distorted picture soon showed a clear image of a beautiful woman. Her face was strong, but her eyes were soft and blue like mine. Even her long dark hair resembled mine. Who was she?
“The woman you see there went by many names. Those close to her called her Celeste. Others knew her as the creator or the pure one,” Helia said, dropping another droplet of green liquid onto the table.
The image changed again. This time, the woman, Celeste, sat on a huge gold throne. The room she was in was extravagant, and everything was blinding white. Her long white dress clung to her body perfectly, flowing down past her feet. It made her dark hair and light eyes pop. She was the most striking woman I had ever seen. The way Celeste sat on the throne exuberated power and grace. All I wanted to do was reach my hand out and touch her.
Unconsciously, my hand did just that. I slowly reached out to the image.
“Ana, don't!” Jace shouted.
But it was too late. As soon as my fingertips touched the table, I was forcefully pulled towards the now swirling pool of colors on the table. It was almost like a whirpool of paint.
“Ana, let go!” Jace yelled.
“I can't.” I screamed back. I tried to pull my arm back, but the more I pulled, the harder this force yanked me. Seb wrapped his arms around my waist as he tried unsuccessfully to help me out. Panic kicked in when the table, which really wasn’t a table, consumed me up to my shoulders.
“Ahh! Help!” I screamed as Seb gripped me harder.
“Grandmother! Get her out!” Jace’s voice was riddled with anxiety which only added to my rising fear.
“This is not my doing. Analise wants this,” Helia said calmly.
What the heck was she talking about? This, I could easily say, was something I didn’t want! I opened my mouth to yell at her because she was beyond crazy if she thought I wanted to be sucked into something I couldn't even explain. Then suddenly, the force pulling me increased in strength and snatched me from Seb’s strong arms and into a pit of flashing colors.
***
Seb
My heart pounded a tattoo against my chest. Whatever just ripped Ana from my arms and into the image on the table had since disappeared. I instantly dropped to my knees, looking underneath, hoping it was just some parlor trick. Unfortunately, it wasn't and Ana was nowhere in sight
“Where is she, witch?!” I said, barely containing my anger. How could she calmly sit there after what just happened?
Helia raised a brow at me before reaching into her other pocket, taking out another vial with purple fluid inside.
“I simply showed what needs to be seen. Analise chose to enter the past herself. Whether she knew consciously or not, it felt her true desire and tugged her in.” Helia leaned over the now normal-looking table, dropping three pinches of the new liquid onto it.
An explosion of light beamed through the center. I had to cover my eyes for a moment until it died down. Spots still danced in my line of sight after.
“What's happening? Where did she go?” Jace asked.
We simmered in anger as we looked down at the distorted image that began to appear.
Helia didn't respond; just pointed a wrinkling finger at the table. Finally, a picture came through visibly.
It was the same as the one Ana touched. The beautiful woman sat on her throne alone in the white marble room. The room itself looked elegant and royal. It was like something from the fairy tales I used to read Marie when she was young.
I wondered briefly where this was. I was about to ask when the picture widened, showing an unconscious Ana lying on the floor a few feet away from the woman. My hand automatically reached out to Ana. Unlike what just happened a moment ago, my hand didn’t sink through. Instead, I felt the cold surface of the wood table.
“You can’t enter a vortex, especially one like this that’s so far into the past,” Helia said when she saw the disappointed look on my face.
“Where is she? Is she alright?” I was angry that I wasn’t able to protect her, but whatever pulled her in was too strong for me.
“Analise is one thousand years back to the past. I wanted to show her how she fits into what’s happ
ening by showing her how it all began, but the vortex drew her inside instead.” Helia responded to me before walking out of the room.
My eyes went back to the table. Ana still laid unmoving on the floor. All I wanted was to be there beside her and comfort her.
“So, this is some kind of portal and she is back in time?” I asked, still waiting for Ana to move.
“Not exactly. If a portal is open, anyone can pass through it to the other side. This is usually to a different place but same point in time. A vortex, however, is a window to the past, and only extremely powerful people can safely transport through one.” Jace explained.
Jace, too, was watching Ana before suddenly turning away. He began rummaging through cabinets, taking out jars containing different powders and liquids. Jace started to furiously combine the ingredients, some of which appeared to be live insects, into a bowl.
“What are you doing?” I aked as I thought Jace could be losing it. I hoped the boy wasn’t seriously going to eat that foul-smelling concoction.
“I can’t travel in a vortex. Hell, I’m not even strong enough to open a vortex window like my grandmother did. But I remember a spell my grams taught me that will allow me to send my spirit through.”
Jace was speaking too quickly. I could barely keep up with what he was going on about.
“Explain further.” I demanded.
Jace shouldered past me, looking into yellow fridge for something. He huffed angrily when he didn’t find it. Jace went back to openning and slamming cabinets, obviously missing an item in his disgusting concoction.
“Listen, I need to send my spirit to Ana. The vortex pulled her in because that’s what she wanted. It won’t allow her out until she sees what she went there to see. Without a guide, she could be stuck there.” Jace’s voice was filled with dread, and it only made me even angrier that I wasn’t able to hold onto her.
“Looking for something?” Helia said, appearing back in the kitchen like she never left. Jace turned to his short grandmother with a distressed look on his face.
“Please tell me where the fairy wings are.” He begged.
Fairy wings? They couldn’t be talking about wings from an actual fairy, could they?
“Fairies are extinct. Those wings are very rare and hard to come by. What do you need them for?” Helia spoke in such a cool manner I wondered if the woman was ever worried about anything. She certainly wasn’t worried about Ana; at least not to the extent of his worry or Jace’s.
“I need to help Ana. If she doesn’t find her way…” Jace trailed off, running his hands through his hair.
I picked up that there was much more to this than Jace originally stated.
“My grandson, you are not strong or experienced enough to properly be of any help to her,” Helia said gently to Jace
“Then you do it!” I interjected. It was kind of her fault Ana’s in there anyway. The least she could do was help her out.
Helia turned her knowing gray eyes on me; studying me for a moment. The way her eyes peered into mine; it was like she was looking into my soul or something. I wanted to turn away, but something inside me would not back down.
“Interesting,” she said with a small smile “Okay, I’ll go to her, but only if you do something for me after.” Helia bargained.
“Deal.” I responded, instantly agreeing even though I hadn’t a clue what she wanted from me. Her eyes lit up in delight at my speedy reply. I didn’t care about that now. All I wanted was Ana out of that vortex. And if I couldn’t get her himself then Helia was the only choice.
The old witch opened a drawer next to the fridge. It seemed to be empty, but there was a tiny latch on the inside that she pushed to open a hidden compartment. Jace huffed in annoyance, probably because he missed that in his earlier search. She pulled out a small square box made of leaves. Slowly, she pried it open and out fluttered a pair of wings. I watched in awe as the three-inched wings fluttered lively in the air; their blue-like glow casting an unreal gleam around the room. It was beautiful. I could only wonder what the fairy who once owned the wings looked like.
“Wow, that’s amazing.” I couldn’t shake my shocked state. I knew about vampires and witches but not of any other creatures of the night.
“Yes, it is such a sad thing these poor creatures were slaughtered for the power in the very wings you see now,” Helia said, catching the wings in her fist. “These were a gift from a dying fairy friend.” She added, referring to wings in her hand. I wished Marie could have seen this. My sister always believed fairies were real. Guess she was right.
Helia took the mixture Jace prepared and took her seat at the table. The image was still showing Ana lying unconscious. My heart tightened with anxiety.
“Grams, are you sure about this?” Jace asked a he dampened her face and arms with a wet towel.
“You know the risks Jace.” Helia whispered back, drinking the foul-smelling bubbling liquid. I wondered what was all in there, but I thought better about asking.
She released the wings back into the air. They fluttered gracefully, hypnotizing me yet again.
“Letjeti Me U Zemlju Besmrtnika Dragi Moj Prijatelju,” Helia said in a foreign language with her eyes closed tightly. The wings flapped harder before diving into her open mouth.
“What did she speak?” I asked Jace.
“She was speaking in Croatian; the language of the fairies. She asked the wings to take her to the land of immortals.” Jace answered as he took slow steps away from his grandmother’s still body.
Helia’s body started to shake slightly, and right before my eyes, trails of steam rose from her skin. That explained why Jace was wetting her skin.
“Jace, tell me the truth. What will happen if this doesn’t work?” I knew the younger guy was holding something back and I needed to know what.
Jace fully faced me with sad eyes.
“If Ana doesn’t find her way, out the pressure of the vortex will weigh on her body. She isn’t from that time, so every second she’s there, her body will give. She’ll get cold and it’ll become harder for her to move as thehe internal organs crush and then…” Jace stopped himself and glanced longingly at Ana on the mock screen.
Jealousy rose within me, but I pushed it aside. For now.
“And then what?” I pushed Jace to finish his sentence, even though I already guessed the outcome.
“And then she’ll die.”
Chapter 21
Helia: The Great Witch Part II
Ana
My body felt like the weight of the world was being pressed onto my bones. It was as if I was being suctioned through a straw. I tried to open my eyes, but all around, there was nothing but flashing colors. They zipped around me brightly as my body continued to tumble into an abyss. Time seemed to slow down along with my flailing limbs until I landed hard face down on a cold floor. The impact hurt like a bitch, but I couldn’t move my body at all. What I could only do was hear sounds all around me; the shuffling of feet, murmuring voices and a loudly creaking door. Damn it! All I want right now was to open my eyes. Something told me this place wasn’t Helia’s kitchen.
“Just relax, little time traveler. The pain will subside gradually.” A woman’s soft but firm voice glided down my ears. It wasn’t a voice I’d ever heard but one I could listen to all day. Who said that? Maybe if I could at least get my eyes to open, that simple question could be answered. Taking her advice, I relaxed my stiff, sore body. Focusing hard, I was able to finally pry my eyes open. The blinding white in the room was a little too much to bear, so I closed them instantly. A few minutes later, I slowly opened them again.
The room that came into view was one I instantly recognized as the one from the picture I fell in. It was even more beautiful in real life. Everything was white with gold accents. If I lifted my head, I was sure a gold chandelier would be there. Just a few feet in front of me, the spectacular-looking woman sat unmoving on her gold throne. My eyes danced all over her, taking in her mirror image featu
res. She looked like me more than I cared to admit. With the exception of a few details and her obvious beauty, she could very well be my older sister or something. Her eyes locked with mine, and she gave me a small smile. Who was this woman? The sound of heavy doors opening behind me drew her attention away. If only I could turn my head to see who entered. Instead, I laid there, waiting for them to pass. First to march by me was a woman with long white hair. She had it in a single braid, sweeping down her back. The long black dress swooshed as she moved. Trailing behind her was a little girl carrying a wooden doll. The girl’s brown hair was in a similar braid, and her little burgundy dress looked too big for her. She didn’t pass by me like the woman. She stopped and looked at me curiously.
“Grandmother, who is this?” she asked. The woman stopped short of the throne and turned back to the girl.
“Who dear?” she said, looking confused at the child. The little girl frowned
“The girl lying right here.” She replied as she pointed a small finger at me. The woman placed her hands on her hips in a disapproving fashion.
“Helia, stop telling stories. There is no one there. No, come on.” The woman’s voice left no room for arguing. The little girl stomped her small foot but obeyed. She took two steps away before turning and looking me right in the eye. “I see you,” she whispered.
Well, I see you too, kid. I wanted to say but couldn’t. Geez. Was I sucked in here to just lie around? They approached the throne and bowed respectfully.
“Celeste, I have come to warn you.” The white haired woman said.
“Carry on” The woman called Celeste urged.
“Arc must not go into battle. None of my visions show us winning this war. We must flee.” The older woman’s voice was full of fear.
What was she talking about? This was so confusing. Some feeling came into my fingers and, I could move them slightly. Like that helped. Out of nowhere, a smoky apparition began to form right in front of my eyes. I watched closely as the shaper became clearer and clearer, until Helia, Jace’s old grams, stood in front of me. Well, more like floated.
Pure: A Paranormal Romance Page 20
