by Peter Saenz
“They will find us. After all these years they found me here, didn’t they? If we runaway and they eventually track us down, they’ll slaughter all of us. Do you want that happen?”
“It’s not fair! It’s not fair!” The pain in my mother’s voice is palpable.
“No, it’s not fair but it’s either this or no life at all. Do you really want that?”
My mother slumps into the sofa beside her. “What about Devin? What am I supposed to tell him?”
“Tell him that I had to go away for a while. He won’t understand what’s going on but tell him that I love him very much and hope to come back as soon as I can.”
My mother then looks up toward my father. “Will they come for him too some day?”
My father reassures her. “The others have no interest in him. He’s not one of us. They promised me that they will leave you and Devin alone as long as I go along with them and you don’t reveal to anyone what they are. It’s very important Vicki, you can’t say a word to anyone! They won’t think twice about killing you or Devin if they find out others know about them or that they exist.”
“I promise, I won’t say a thing. Not even to Devin but...”
“No buts. These people are trained killers. Promise me you won’t try to find me. Promise me.”
My mother hangs down her head and sobs. “I promise.”
My father goes down to my mother’s level and holds her. My mother holds him back.
“I have to go. They’re waiting for me.”
My father kisses my mother then stands up.
“I’ll wire money into the bank account every month and check in on you when I can. I can’t promise we’ll ever see each other again but always know I love you.”
My father turns and heads to the back patio door. Just before he is able to open it my mother grabs a large glass display plate from the coffee table and throws it against the brick fireplace in anger. It shatters into a hundred pieces. She continues sobbing into her hands on the couch as my father walks through the now open patio door towards my younger self in the backyard. I see him go down on one knee and hold little Devin by the shoulders. Even though he is too far away to be heard I know what he is telling me just before he stands and walks away.
*******
I awaken to the sensation of being shaken. The sun has come out and fills the train car’s open doorway. Beside me is Tobias. One hand is lightly shaking my shoulder and the other is wiping my hair away from my face. His hazel eyes catch the light and become a brilliant golden brown. He has a strong jaw line and Roman nose, but his overall demeanor carries a softness to it that matches his gentle persona. He really is quite beautiful.
“The train is stopping Devin. We need to get off before an attendant comes to check the cars.”
With that I quickly gather up my blanket and pack it away into my bag. Tobias and Fenrus are standing by the car door waiting for me to join them. Tobias quickly sticks his head out and looks around for a moment before turning back to me.
“It’s clear. Let’s go.”
We jump out of the car and make a dash for a wooded area ahead. Just as we reach the tree line I hear a slight noise and Tobias falls to the ground beside me face first. In his back is a long needle with a thin red feather protruding out the other end. I look around for the attacker but don’t see anyone.
“Fenrus! Find cover now!”
Fenrus quickly moves behind a tree as I grab Tobias under his arms and drag him behind a nearby bush. What the hell just happened? I listen closely with my newfound hearing and make out a series of running footsteps dodging here and there around me. Shit! What is going on? The birds in the area grow quiet, aware of the danger. I look down and see the needle is still in Tobias’ back. I reach over and pull the needle out and toss it aside. The stinging sensation tells me that the needle is made of silver and probably dipped in some sort of poison. I wipe off any remaining poison on my hands onto my shirt and turn Tobias over to face me. He’s unconscious but still breathing.
“Come on Tobias, wake up!” No response. “Where are you? Come out and face me you bastard!”
Fenrus comes over and sniffs Tobias’ wound. In my head I hear, “The poison will kill him if we don’t get him treated soon.”
More rustling. He’s close. Fenrus growls and crouches low, ready to spring at any movement. I slow down my breathing and find my spiritual center. I can feel the magic flowing around me. I hold it there waiting for the attacker to pounce. A minute goes by with no noise what-so-ever. Suddenly I hear fierce hissing and growls coming from behind me. I look over and am surprised to see Ms. Whiskers on the back of a man savagely scratching and biting for all she’s worth. The man is dressed in black combat boots, black jeans and a black leather buckled sleeveless top with a high collar. Affixed to his back on either side of Ms. Whiskers are two sword handles. His jet black hair and dark eyes tousle back and forth as he tries to get Ms. Whiskers off of him. He eventually manages to get hold of Ms. Whiskers with one hand but his black leather armband manages to protect him from most of her claw swipes. He throws her several feet in front of him. She lands on her side and tries her best to turn around to face him again. She’s obviously hurt as one of her paws causes her to fall back to the ground. I look back at the attacker and see his eyes turn a bright yellow. Flashes of the shadow covered, yellow-eyed werewolf from the previous night tell me that they are one and the same. A low growl escapes him declaring his wounded pride means to finish the job started on Ms. Whiskers before turning his attention back at me.
“No!” I summon the magic around me to shoot forward and inflict as much pain as possible to the man in black. It hits him squarely in the chest and he is knocked backwards. Rage consumes his face as he takes a moment to fight through the pain. He then removes both swords from their sheath, gripping the handles tightly. They shine brightly in the daylight, clean and almost white from polished care. I can sense they are silver. I pull my arm forward and grip the air in front of me. The attacker’s arms then squeeze inward as if he is caught in a vise. I raise my hand slightly to which the attacker also rises, now a couple feet above the ground.
“Who are you!,” I yell with conviction. Silence. The attacker begins squirming in place and in a few seconds he breaks free from my invisible hold, falling to the ground.
His rage intensifies as his features begin to change. His ears become pointed and a black mutton-chop beard appears on his face. The realization that my magics will only hold a limited effect on him sets in. I look to Fenrus and an agreement forms between us. I begin charging at the werewolf and as I do so Fenrus leaps into me. Our two souls meld together and as before I can feel myself transforming. My limbs grow longer length. My hands begin shifting into claws. Black and white fur begins to form. In a matter of moments the transformation is complete and I am surging once again with strength and power.
The expression on the attacker becomes complete shock, which I take full advantage of as I tackle him to the ground. He quickly regains his composure though and easily blocks each of my claw swipes. He pushes me off of him by swinging his legs with great force upward and then thrusts his upper half forward, landing back up onto his feet. He leaps sideways into a tumble and in doing so grabs hold of his swords. Landing back onto his feet again he turns to face me. I roar in defiance, which makes him charge at me at top speed. Before he can reach me I sense a thick tree root in the ground and will it to surface and whip my attacker. It does, knocking him backward. A large red welt begins to form across his face. I will the tree root to whip at him again. This time he anticipates the attack and uses his swords to slice through the tree root in several places. The severed pieces fall harmlessly to his side.
“You dare fully transform in broad daylight? What clan are you from?” His voice is deep and strong.
“What? I’m not from any clan. I’ve left my coven and only want to be left alone! Why are you attacking us?” The words are hard to form in my new guise but I pronounce
the words as best I can.
He throws one of his swords in my direction. Before it can hit me I will myself to appear behind the assassin. I make a swipe with my claws at his back and he goes down. I attempt to crush him with my foot but he rolls to the side and swings his remaining sword toward my legs. I jump backwards, dodging the sword and land on all fours. Gaining a stance again, the partly transformed werewolf holds his sword in front of him in a defensive pose. At the same time he holds his midsection with his free hand, revealing that the attack I gave to his back seriously hurt him. I look over to Tobias and Ms. Whiskers. They are both still on the ground, unmoving. I need to end this fight and get them to help as soon as possible. But where? I don’t even know where we are.
Suddenly small flashes of light appear and strike the werewolf. He falls to the ground in pain. Where did those come from? I look in Tobias’ direction but he is still unconscious. Then I see her. Standing beside a nearby tree is a beautiful young woman. She appears to be a light complected young African-American woman with jade green eyes. She looks at me and nods. I have a sense she’s there to help. The werewolf also spots her and retreats further into the woods.
“Hurry, we don’t have a lot of time. Help me get Tobias into my car. It’s just a few yards that way.” Her voice is soothing and calm.
How does she now Tobias? She runs over to him and places her hands onto his chest.
“He’s not doing good. Hurry! I need your help!”
I feel myself separate from Fenrus and my body morphs back into its human form. I go over to Tobias and grab him under his arms. She grabs his legs in kind. Together we carry him to an area outside of the tree line where I see a parked car. The back door is open so I carry Tobias into it and lay him down on the seat. Once he is fully in I go out the other door and start racing back towards the woods.
“Where are you going?” she asks in concern.
“Tobias isn’t the only one who needs help. Hold on, I’ll be right back! Fenrus, look after Tobias!”
With that I race to where I last saw Ms. Whiskers. She is still there, awake but unable to move. I hear her voice say, “Me not let bad man hurt you. Me do good?”
“Yes you old alley cat, you did good. Let’s get you out of here before anything else happens.”
“Okay.” Her voice is weak but still full of courage.
I pick her up as gently as I can. I can tell one of her legs isn’t doing so well. I cradle her close to me and head back to the car. Along the way I spot one of the silver swords the assassin threw at me earlier, now sticking out of the ground. I move Ms. Whiskers into my left arm and with the right I grab the sword by the handle. There are some interesting etchings in the blade but I keep my curiosity on hold. Keeping the task in mind, I run back to the car with both Ms. Whiskers and the sword in my possession. When I get there I see the young woman is throwing our bags into the trunk. In the back seat I can see Fenrus sitting beside Tobias. The stranger then gets behind the wheel and I get into the passenger seat. Soon the car is started, revved and we speed off down a dirt road.
“Who are you?” My question is a little blunt but at this point I don’t have time for common courtesy. If she’s offended I can’t tell.
“My name is Mika. My grandmamma saw that you and Tobias were in trouble so she sent me to help. We’re going to her now. She’ll be able to help Tobias. Your friend there might feel a little better if you cast a healing spell on her though. She’ll be sore for a few days but at least her bones will be healed.”
“You’re a witch?”
The girl smirks. “What tipped you off?”
I position the sword off to the side, careful not to come in contact with the silver blade. I slowly move Ms. Whiskers from my chest to my lap. With one hand I hold her under her head and with the other I place my hand over her midsection. I focus on my inner power and pulse it out toward Ms. Whiskers, mingling it with her own life force. This should strengthen her somewhat. I then psychically see where her body has been damaged. I focus on the broken bones and imagine them mending themselves. At the same time I sense her endorphin levels and will them to increase to help with the pain involved. After a few moments Ms. Whiskers is purring soundly. When the last of the broken bones have reset and healed I then suggest that she sleep, which she does.
Mika looks at me in wonder. “That was amazing. I’ve never seen anyone heal an injury that fast before.”
“I only wish I could do the same for Tobias.”
Understanding my pain, Mika says, “He has non-magical poison running through his system. What he needs is an herbal healer. My grandmamma is an experienced herbalist. She’ll be able to help him. We just need to get to her.”
“I don’t know how to thank you for helping us back there.”
“No thanks necessary. Tobias is like family to me.”
“How did you know where we were or what was happening?”
“Magic my dear Devin. Magic.”
§
CHAPTER FOUR
The Kindness of Strangers
Within a few minutes we leave the quiet countryside behind us and land in the middle of a huge metropolis. The Golden Gate Bridge and steep roadways gave away what city we are in. Ms. Whiskers is still sleeping soundly in my lap. I turn to look at Tobias. All the color has left his face and sweat has formed on his brow. I will some of my own life force to mingle with his, hoping it will sustain him for the remainder of the travel. Onward we drive, swerving cars left and right. A few times I think we’re close to causing an accident due to our break neck speed but as I look around me the fellow drivers and pedestrians don’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. At first I ask myself if this is really how people in San Francisco drive but then I sense low level magic streaming from Mika. It dawns on me that she’s glamouring us from the people around us. Its old magic but still very effective. Basically the witch casting the spell clouds their victim’s minds to see only that which they think is normal. I could walk by the Queen of England without a stitch of clothing on and all she would see is a properly dressed man of no real significance. I imagine the people around us probably only see a bicycle messenger or perhaps nothing at all. I’m impressed that Mika is able to focus on her driving and maintain the spell at the same time. Both require a high level of concentration but if she’s having any difficulty it doesn’t show.
We make a left from Bush Street onto Powell Street. I can tell Mika senses my agitation.
“Don’t worry, we’re almost there. It’s straight ahead just before Sacramento Street.”
Sure enough I see the Sacramento Street sign up ahead and Mika pulls the car into an empty space. Just in front of us is a large 6 story building made of red and brown bricks and trimmed with white accents. The black rot iron fire escape gives the building a classic look. Above the large front door is etched “St. Elizabeth”. My newfound sight almost goes wild as I sense powerful magic within.
Still holding Ms. Whiskers, I race out of the car door and open the door behind me. Fenrus immediately jumps out and looks up to me for direction.
“Fenrus, can you carry Ms. Whiskers on your back.”
In my head I hear, “Yes”. I gently place Ms. Whiskers across Fenrus’ back and will her to remain asleep. I then climb inside the car and dig my arms underneath Tobias, grabbing hold of him. Mika appears at the open car door and grabs Tobias’ legs. Just as we are almost out of the car a cable car pulls up and a load of tourists step off. They take no notice of us and happily begin snapping photos of the buildings around us. We continue to the front door, which opens for us on its own magically. Upon entering a lavishly decorated lobby, we pass a beautiful curved wooden staircase which almost seems to be spotlighted by a series of custom stained glass windows. Just past the staircase an elevator door dings open and we step inside. The doors immediately close behind us and the car moves upward, finally stopping on the top floor. The doors open and I’m greeted with an intoxicating scent of sweet incense.
&nbs
p; “This way.”
Mika guides us past many pieces of ornate furniture and grand tapestries. We head toward an open door on the far side of the living room. As we walk through, the incense smell becomes stronger. The room is filled with many lit candles and along one wall stands many shelves, each containing several labeled glass jars. In the middle of the room is a red velvet lined folding table. Beside it stands an older woman immaculately polished with her pale white hands interlocked in front of her. Her stark white hair is neatly tied up in a bun and on her white high necked Victorian blouse she wears has a cameo perfectly centered above her chest. Her long black skirt goes down to the top of her high button boots, which carry a Victorian era look to them. The woman looks on at us with the same brilliant green eyes I see in Mika.
Mika and I position Tobias on the table. In doing so I feel that beneath the red velvet are several padded cushions. The moment Mika and I step away the older woman goes straight to work on Tobias. Within seconds she has a series of herbs placed on his tongue, a medicinal smelling cold compress on his forehead, and a couple small censers set on either side of his head giving off unique healing aromas.
My senses go into overload and I begin to feel somewhat light-headed. I look around and see Fenrus standing beside me still carrying Ms. Whiskers. I kneel down toward him and begin petting his cheeks and forehead. “Thank you Fenrus. You did great.” He licks me in response. I then take Ms. Whiskers off of him and place her on a nearby chair. I then turn my attention back towards Tobias and the woman.
“Do you think you can help him?”
The woman continues her work but replies, “I’m definitely going to try. Mika, were you able to retrieve it?”
At this Mika reaches into her pocket and pulls out a thick white handkerchief. She opens it up and inside is the long needle and red feather the would-be assassin used on Tobias.
“Good. Drop it into this decanter.” The older woman then holds a glass container with a clear liquid towards Mika and she drops the needle in. After a few moments the clear liquid begins to change into a misty purple. Noticing the color change, the woman moves over to the large shelved wall and begins pulling several jars down. She takes various amounts of the items from each jar and places them into a large vessel. She then grabs a small porous stone and begins to grind the items together. When she is done she takes the newly made powder and places it into a heating tea kettle set on a nearby table. She waits a few moments and then takes the kettle and pours its contents into a cup. Afterward she goes over to Tobias and with one arm manages to sit him up. She removes the herbs she placed on his tongue earlier with her free hand. When all the herbs are cleared she takes the cup and eases the concoction down Tobias’ throat.
