The Witch's Chalice

by Melania Tolan

  Traian stopped by in the morning with my mandatory cup of blood but left with no kiss or anything. He popped in again when the furniture was delivered, then departed once again without displaying any sort of affection. This coolness between us left me feeling uneasy. Thankfully, Padrick arrived with the ingredients I’d requested and helped me make the homemade concoction of plant food that I’d made for my houseplants in Seattle.

  “What happened to my apartment?” I asked him as I added a pinch more sulfur to the murky water.

  “Well, in your will, you left the apartment to your sister,” he replied.

  “I know that, but did she actually move in?”

  “Darling, it hasn’t even been a week since you died. Things move much slower in the human world.”

  How strange to think of myself as dead. In my family’s eyes, I was truly gone. They were probably still in shock and mourning my sudden departure. And would be for a long time. For me, however, I felt like I had just run away from home and should let them know I was okay before they alerted the authorities. But I could never do that. They could never know I was still around. For them, I was gone forever.

  The cave seemed to shrink around me. I badly needed some fresh air. Since I couldn’t go out, the lake room had become my oasis. But it, too, seemed to collapse around me as I entered.

  “What’s wrong?” Padrick followed me out.

  “Something’s off, but I don’t know what it is.”

  “Everything’s off, darling.” He laughed. “The world is changing fast, especially now that you are coming into your powers.”

  “The world?” I balked. “I’m nobody, how can I affect the world?”

  “You have no idea what you are capable of. No one does. Most of your power is still hidden,” he pointed to the center of my chest, “trapped inside you. Only you can unlock it, but you must do so wisely.”

  I wanted to believe him, but had a very hard time doing so. All my life, I had struggled to live to see another day, and now I had power locked inside of me? Yet I couldn’t argue with the evidence so far.

  Blasting Traian in my apartment and the incident that had occurred at the cemetery had both happened while I was human. It didn’t stop when I died, either. I had set the couch on fire, burned Traian’s face with my hands, and then brought down a shower of boulders from the cave ceiling. Is that why Traian is keeping his distance? Is he afraid of me?

  I used my senses to make sure no one was eavesdropping on our conversation. The closest person was one of the human servants, who was cleaning the floor in the common room. Everyone else was either in their quarters or in the command room, busy with other matters…including the person I wanted to talk about.

  “I’m worried about Traian,” I whispered. “He’s not the same since we’ve been back.”

  “No one is the same since we’ve been back, darling.” Padrick paused. “Cut him some slack. He hasn’t been this much in love for twenty years, and it was five thousand years before that.”

  “You think he’s in love with me?” I stared at him.

  Padrick laughed. “Even a blind fool could see that he is. He just has an odd way of showing it.”

  Ha. He can say that again.

  I trusted Padrick, but still didn’t believe him. I knew Traian cared for me and possibly loved me. But in love with me was an entirely different matter.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow.” Padrick gave me a side-hug and placed a light kiss on my right temple. “We’re going to get through this. I promise.”

  When the elf disappeared through the tunnel back to the main cavern, I stripped down to my bare skin and swam down to the little grave I’d created at the bottom of the lake. Thankfully, I hadn’t caused any more seismic activities since. I leaned back on the hard rock bottom and looked up to the surface, watching the fractured light dance through the water.

  What a gift to be able to stay submerged underwater for long periods of time. That was the first time I realized maybe being undead wasn’t all bad.

  Sure, I had lost my family, job, and the life I’d loved, but in turn, I’d gained a few perks. I wouldn’t bleed out. I didn’t have to worry about my heart stopping—because it already had, and I’d survived. Then there were the heightened senses, which at first, I had considered a curse, but now saw their benefit.

  Despite all of this, I still craved fresh air. We were in the mountains, and I wanted to explore. However, Traian and Padrick had been annoyingly adamant that I should not leave the cave without them.

  The nights slipped by in this manner: blood breakfast with a short visit from Traian, garden tending for an hour, followed by a swim. Then I would walk through the labyrinth of tunnels. By now, I knew them like the back of my hand. Oddly, I never found anyone around. Everyone seemed busy but me.

  Rodica offered to spar with me in the training area, but Traian nipped that one in the bud before I could answer. The library was off limits—sparking hands and paper don’t mix—but Marius brought me periodicals and magazines on plants, geography, celebrity gossip, and Romanian history. Those only took an hour or two to devour—another strigoi perk.

  Boy, that would have come in handy three weeks ago when I needed to study for exams.

  With the perks came the curse as well. Every time Traian or Padrick told me what to do, my hands would start to spark. Sometimes I shot flames from them. With time, I got used to the sensation and knew when it was coming. I’d always try to find Storm or go for a walk before it got too bad. If that didn’t help, I would stick my hands into the lake. All these things reduced the potential damage. As long as I didn’t set a couch on fire or collapse the cave on us, I was doing good.

  But all this confinement had me as antsy as a kid on Christmas Eve. I needed to go outside. I needed to get out and do something fun or physical. I longed to explore the mountains I’d caught glimpses of on the car ride here. I wanted to feel the fresh air inside my lungs and climb to the top of the many peaks surrounding us. I felt like I had all this energy that needed to be unleashed physically, or else I would blow something up.

  Traian continued to keep his distance from me. He rarely touched me anymore. All the words from Padrick about him being in love with me felt like hogwash. Unfortunately, Traian seemed to continue to prove me right. Padrick also seemed to have found something to do and made himself scarce.

  Every now and then, Rodica would come by and give me a weird look that I couldn't figure out. I got the feeling she didn’t like me, and that my arrival had inconvenienced some grand plan of hers. She never spoke to me—which was just as well, as I didn’t have anything to say to her.

  One day, I asked Nicolai if I could use a computer to check my email.

  “Why? Are you expecting someone to email you?” he asked.

  “No, but I didn’t check it before I died.”

  “Bad news. The account has been deleted.” He shrugged and closed the door to the command center, where all the computers were kept.

  After a week of this, I’d reached my breaking point. If I didn’t get out, I’d either set the entire cave on fire or drain all five of the human servants of their last drop of blood. Like a caged animal, the need to run grew with every passing moment.

  The night came when everybody seemed to be busy discussing a situation. The tension amongst the coven members had reached the boiling point. I told Traian that I was going to go for my usual swim in the lake, which I fully intended to do.

  However, when I got to the lake room, I realized there was a small opening at the far end of the cave. Out of curiosity, I scaled the cave wall and made my way over to the little gap. It was small enough to squeeze my thin body through. I crawled deeper and deeper. When I took a breath in, I smelled water and fresh, cold air. This had to lead outside somewhere.

  Sure enough, an hour later, I emerged from the side of the mountain. Icy gusts swirled around me. I scanned my surroundings, trying to detect any hidden cameras. Traian’s security team had installed them thro
ughout the mountain. I didn’t see any, though. This was my chance. The clock on my vanity had said ten pm, which meant I had plenty of time to explore. I could go for a hike without having to worry about getting burned by the sun. But could I find my way back?

  Use your senses. The soft voice that spoke in my mind almost sounded like mine, but I couldn’t be sure.

  “You’re right,” I whispered and closed my eyes.

  With my hypersensitive smell, I detected the scents around this particular hole. Snow, dirt, granite, calcium, burnt wood, lavender, rosemary, mint, frankincense, and cat—all the smells of me, Storm, and Traian.

  I'd never been to the mountains and ever gone hiking. I'd lived in the city all my life, and a good portion of that life was spent in the hospital. But something inside me, this instinct that I wasn't used to having, clicked inside my mind. I knew I could trace back to this place from anywhere. I opened my eyes and gazed up at the looming peaks above me. The urge to scale the cliffs as fast as I could pulled me forward. I didn’t hold back.

  Climb that mountain, girlfriend!

  I ran at full speed all the way to the top, through the snow and tumbling rocks, until I got to the summit. There, on the very edge of the cliff, I stood and surveyed the half-moonlit mountains around me. Traian was right. Romania was beautiful. This place looked like something from an epic fantasy novel. The mountains seemed to reach forever into the sky, and the valleys seemed so low, with the lakes and little dots of animals foraging around for new spring growth hidden under the last layers of winter snow.

  And then I heard her.

  ‘Come to me, old daughter of my spirit. Come to me. Your destiny awaits.’

  My head turned instinctively toward the sound of the wind that carried her voice. In my heart, I felt a familiar hum. My spirit woke up, as if from a long winter’s sleep. I breathed in and smelled the ice, hearth, and herbs—something I had never smelled before.

  Just as a predator tracks its prey, I followed the scents over the mountain peaks, down into the valley, and through the forest, further and further away from the cave.

  When I reached the woodland, I slowed down. The mountain snow had disappeared, revealing dirt, partly-mulched leaves, and exposed tree roots. I’d never been in a forest alone at night, but the hum of the woods felt like a balm to my soul. The rich, earthy scent of the old-growth forest was downright euphoric.

  Mist filled the spaces between the trees ahead, blocking my vision, but I knew that just beyond that heavy fog was the woman who had called me.

  I bet that woman is the gypsy crone Padrick mentioned.

  As I cautiously moved forward, I felt as if I had walked right through a wall of energy. The hairs on my body stood straight up. All my cells felt electrified for two seconds, and then I felt normal again.

  I crept forward ever so slowly until I felt beings closing in on all sides.

  Humans.

  No, they were only human-like. They were some kind of creature, but I couldn't tell what. Some, at least, had a human form, while others took that of an animal. At my left were two wolves; on my right, two bears closed. In front of me stood a man so tall he could have been a giant, his fur coat billowing in the wind.

  He wore a black hat with a brown feather poking out of the side. Long, dark, curly hair draped the sides of his face. In his hand, he held a crossbow pointed directly at me. In the dim light, I could see the glint of the silver of the arrow aimed at my heart.

  The man spoke in a thick accent. “Move one more step, and I will unleash this arrow. My friends will have dinner.”

  Chapter 9

  I raised my hands, palms-up. “I'm not here to hurt you. Someone called to me, and I am only answering her call.”

  “Bloodsuckers are not welcome here. Go back to your shithole and rot.” He barked and spat to the side.

  The wolves and the bears inched closer.

  I didn't move, but I looked him directly in the eye. “I promise on my mother's and grandmother's lives that I am not here to hurt you. I have no quarrel with you. If you are worried I may feed on your people, you can rest assured I have no intentions of such.” I raised my hands up higher. “A woman inside this camp called me, and that is why I'm here. I didn’t even know this place existed until I heard her voice on the wind.”

  Nobody moved. In the distance, I heard my name.

  “Everly.”

  I recognized the voice and the ting of the heartbeat.

  Padrick had probably called for me several times, but I had not heard him through my determination to get here. He appeared but couldn't get past the point where I’d felt the force field. Traian popped up at Padrick’s side, but he couldn’t get through, either.

  Traian beckoned me. “Everly, back away and come with us. You do not want to piss these people off.”

  But I was not going back with them. I needed to find the woman who had called for me. Something deep inside me had awoken at the sound of her voice.

  I closed my eyes and let my mind flow. I touched the consciousness of the man in front of me. He felt my intrusion and responded with a snarl.

  But I had already moved past him, further, deeper into the woods, where there were more people—the people these creatures were protecting. Whole families gathered at the center of the camp. Most of the children were sleeping in makeshift tents surrounding the central bonfire. I continued through the hub of people to a remote part of the camp. That’s when I felt her. The woman who had called to me.

  “I'm here. Please help me,” I whispered.

  When I opened my eyes again, the man before me lowered his crossbow.

  “Who are you?” He eyed me warily.

  “I’m Everly.” I glanced at the creatures around me. “Everly Grace Greene.”

  “Devil’s eye,” the man muttered. He held up his hand and commanded the wolves and bears in a language I’d never heard. Then he turned to me. “You come with me.”

  Traian growled, “Don't you dare touch her, Leo.”

  The man ignored Traian and grabbed my wrist, dragging me behind him, deeper into the woods. I glanced back to Traian and Padrick, but the fog had thickened too much to see them. I wasn't scared. I knew where he was taking me—it was the reason I had come here in the first place—and I was finally going to get an answer.

  The mist cleared when we arrived at the camp. People stared at us as we walked by the fire and the tents. In between, little carts and wagons had been placed in a circle around the great fire. I could hear the mumbling of curses under everyone's breath. Little pricks of energy prodded my skin and mind.

  Well, I guess the undead are not very popular with this bunch. Not that we were popular with anyone. One thing was certain: these people possessed magic, which meant they could help me if I could just convince them.

  When we were out of earshot of the camp, Leo stopped. He let go of my hand and wiped his on his coat, then proceeded to get right in my face.

  “I want to be very clear. No biting, no funny strigoi business, or I will rip your heart out with my bare hands.” His breath reeked of garlic and basil.

  “I need help.”

  I didn’t cower, but I did let some of the zinging energy that pulsed through my body pass into my right hand. Sparks exploded and rained down to the snowy ground below.

  His eyes shifted to my open palm for a moment, and then back to me. “You are strigoi. They have no power except mind tricks. Even Satan himself doesn’t have magic.”

  “You see why I need help? I’m not normal.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You bring evil into my camp.”

  “I’m not evil.”

  “All of your kind are evil.” Leo’s top lip curled. “Your mother brought all kinds of trouble.”

  “My mother?” I blinked.

  “Never mind. Let’s go.” He motioned me to follow, not wanting to touch me after seeing my little fireworks display.

  The further down the path we went, the more the forest darkened. We finally reac
hed a tent, which looked like patches of canvas had been sewn together and thrown over a pile of sticks. Leo lifted the flap covering the entrance and pushed me inside with the end of his crossbow.

  All kinds of herbs hung from the ceiling, drooping so low, we had to stoop as we walked deeper into the tent. The interior appeared much larger than it had from the outside. Probably a trick of magic, but I noticed now that the ground seemed to incline, as if we were entering a burrow.

  The scents that I had smelled at the top of the mountain earlier permeated the air. I didn't understand or know what all these herbs were, but I imagined Mindy would've known. She knew her plants and would have loved to see all of this. But one strong scent overpowered all else—garlic. It made me hungry for pasta.

  My eyes followed the light flickering at the far end of the tent, and I caught a glimpse of a woman hunched over in a chair. The light from the lantern cast her shadow on the canvas behind her, making her seem more imposing than she appeared. She looked as ancient as the forest itself.

  The man said something to the woman in the same language he’d spoken to the animal protectors outside the camp. I had never heard this tongue before that day, yet it sounded so familiar.

  The woman lifted her arm and beckoned me with a crooked finger. Before I could move of my own power, Leo pulled me over and brought me around in front of her.

  “Kneel down,” he instructed. “She needs to see your face.”

  “You can leave us, Leo. We will be just fine.” The woman’s voice cracked and creaked like an old rocking chair.

  “I will not leave you alone with a bloodsucker. And this one has magic.”

  “I know, my child, but I will be fine. She's not here to hurt me. She won't, even if she wanted to.”

  The woman’s English was very good.

  Reluctantly, Leo backed up. “I will be waiting outside.”

  “Do as you will.” She waved him off.

  As soon as he left, the woman's head turned in my direction. She looked right at me, but her eyes were glazed over with cataracts.

  “Come closer, child, and give me your hand.”