The Witch's Chalice

by Melania Tolan

  This was what I had come for, but now that I was here, doubts flooded my mind. What will happen if I pick it up? Is this place booby-trapped?

  I walked around the stand and examined the cup from as many angles as possible. Storm laid at the base of the pedestal, her tail twitching. She yawned.

  “I know. I know. I will get to it.”

  I pulled the vial out from beneath my shirt, popped the top open, and poured the contents into the chalice. The potion bubbled inside the cup like a bad science experiment. Eventually, it simmered down, and a green mist rose from the surface. The smell of rotten onions filled the air of the small room.

  “Here goes nothing.” I picked up the cup. “Bottoms up.”

  I plugged my nose, tilted the contents of the cup right into my mouth, and swallowed the putrid fluid down. Violent spasms had me coughing. I refused to throw up the potion, for fear it wouldn’t work. My whole body shook. I coughed, pain gripping every part of my stomach and intestines. I held onto my waist as my knees buckled.

  “Oh God, I’m going to die.”

  I fell to all fours, gagging, before collapsing to the ground.

  Storm came over and laid her head against my cheek right before I lost consciousness.

  Chapter 11

  I lay in darkness, my body spasming in pain. Why did I drink that wretched potion? The stupidity of my decision seemed to grow with each second. Why did I trust that old woman? What if she was trying to kill me?

  The rest of her tribe would have put an arrow in my heart and ripped me apart without a second thought. Even Traian and Padrick had their reservations. But Padrick had said that she could help me, and I had trusted him. That decision had led me to this dank, dirt floor, with poison flowing through my body.

  In the midst of my regrets, a light shown next to me, so bright I could see it through my closed lids. I opened my eyes.

  Inside the white light stood a woman in a red dress with black hair reaching her waist, and glowing green eyes. She looked so familiar, but I was certain I’d never seen her before.

  “Everly, there isn't much time, so please pay attention,” the woman spoke. “There are three things that you must do in order to defeat Octavian. One, you must find the silver dragon.”

  Next to her, the white mist formed into a beautiful silver dragon.

  “Together with the dragon, you must go into Transpatia and retrieve the silver sword that belonged to Evelina. You are the rightful heir of that sword, but you will be challenged. Beware the elves of Transpatia.”

  Beside her, where the dragon had once been, now stood a long, sparkling, silver sword. The handle gleamed as if there was a light shining on it.

  The woman continued. “But most importantly, you must bond with Traian in order to unshackle his power. You two are connected by more than love. He is reluctant because his heart is still closed. He never opened to me because he belongs to you. He loves you very much, but he is holding back. Until he fully surrenders to your love, his power will remain locked deep inside his soul.”

  Next to her, a white form of Traian appeared with a woman with long, blonde hair. They embraced and shared a deep lover’s kiss—the kind I wish I could share with him.

  “Evelina was his first love. He closed his heart when she died, over five thousand years ago.”

  I slowly rose to my feet, legs wobbly, and stared at the ethereal images, letting everything sink in for a moment, but the woman in red had more to say.

  “Only by the power of these three things will you defeat Octavian. You must have Traian at your side, you must have the sword in your hand, and you must have the silver dragon. Octavian is coming. He's coming for you, and they will take you, but fear not. He does not know the power that lies within you, nor does he know the power that has lain dormant inside Traian for the last five thousand years. He won’t know until it's too late. You must act quickly, but also be patient. Wait until the right time comes.”

  “Are you—?”

  The woman smiled. “I am Eva. I'm sorry for all the troubles I have caused you, but you are the one to lead the last war against the man who has destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives. He’s destroyed civilizations and wiped any traces of them from this world and others. This man will stop at nothing until he has full domination of the planet, which he is quite close to achieving.”

  The image of Traian and Evelina faded, leaving only me and Eva.

  “When this happens, the human race will be slaves, like when he first arrived here.”

  “Arrived, like he's an alien?”

  She chuckled. “No. Not an alien. But extraterrestrials did have something to do with his existence.”

  A stabbing pain in my stomach had me doubled over.

  “My dear, there isn't much time. The spell is fading, and I must return to my place. Know you are not alone on this quest. Turn to those you trust and please allow them to help you. We will see each other again someday.”

  She faded into the darkness.

  Once again alone in the murky chamber, I collapsed on the floor and rolled over onto my back. I coughed, my lungs burning. The dimness seemed to fade from my mind, and I could see the walls and the ceiling of the crypt. The silver chalice lay on the ground next to me on its side.

  A soft paw touched my face. I turned my head in Storm’s direction, and her little furry face nuzzled my nose. I pulled her onto my chest and scratched her head as I processed what had just happened.

  I’m supposed to destroy Octavian? I don’t even know who he is. Maybe I should be afraid.

  I'd heard people talking about him. I knew that both Traian and Padrick feared him. I'd already killed one of his scouts or assassins or whatever that woman in red was. And then all those shadowy figures at the graveyard in Seattle…

  Those must've been his, too. And now he’s coming for me. Great.

  How was I supposed to find the dragon, the silver sword, and bond with Traian before that happened?

  And what does ‘bonding’ mean? Sex?

  The thought of sex with Traian made something deep inside my pelvis ache. I was still a virgin, for obvious reasons—like I’d spent most of my life sick in the hospital with a very weak heart. So yeah, sex had never been an option in my life.

  In my human life, I corrected myself.

  I had a strong body now, although I also had some weird-ass powers, which I needed to learn to control. But I would figure out a way.

  My thoughts returned to Traian. Would he even want me? His coldness the last few days only strengthened the doubts in my head.

  Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted right below my navel, traveled up my scar, and spread across my chest. It burned. I gasped and pushed Storm aside. With frantic fingers, I ripped the buttons off my shirt, exposing my bare chest. My scar was no longer there.

  In its place, a long line of silver reached from my navel to mid-chest. Lines curled down across my pelvis like roots, as spirals spread over my breasts and up to my collarbone like tree branches. The roots reached down, disappearing inside my pants. I unzipped the jeans and pulled my underwear down to see where they ended. The spirals reached all the way down past my pubic bone.

  The tree was like a shimmery, silver tattoo. I touched one of the tendrils. It curled and twisted and then stood still, becoming one with my body. The trunk of the tree was seared into my skin. It had only hurt for two seconds, and then it felt as if it had been there my entire life.

  “So weird,” I whispered.

  Storm jumped onto my lap and touched one of the silver spirals with her paw. I stared at my chest. The scar that I had been ashamed of for much of my life was gone. I traced the branches as they curled around my breasts and extended to the sides of my torso. Some branches even reached over my shoulders, going down my back.

  I didn't know what this meant, but it was beautiful. I wrapped my shirt over my chest and tied it in a little knot above my navel, since the buttons had come off in my haste to see what the hell was happening. Parts of
my new body art were visible, but I didn't mind.

  When I exited the crypt, the woman with the baby waited for me. Her face beamed with a smile. She bowed her head and mouthed, “Thank you.”

  I didn't know what she was thanking me for.

  The misty path formed ahead of me, leading me out of the catacombs, back to the crypt that I had entered at the surface, and through the graveyard to the gate, where an anxious-looking Traian waited for me.

  Padrick stood further behind him with a scowl on his face, but the moment he caught a glimpse of the silvery tattoo on my bare midriff, his eyes widened.

  “Oh, my goddess. You really are her. She—” He put a hand over his mouth to stop whatever else was going to come out.

  “Never do that again.” Traian threw his arms around me the moment I stepped out of the gate and held me tight against his chest. He placed a kiss on my forehead and rested his cheek on the top of my head. “You do not know how torturous it was to watch you disappear into the underworld and then wait. You could have died.”

  “I am dead,” I reminded him.

  “Yes, but these are spirits of people who are stuck here on this planet because of how they died. They have no choice but to live in this graveyard or the place of their death. And after thousands or hundreds of years, or even a few decades of being stuck in the same place, they are not the most benevolent of spirits.”

  I squeezed his torso gently, so as not to cause him pain. “They did not hurt me, Traian. I am okay.”

  He pushed away from me slightly and looked down at the silver spirals peeking out from underneath my shirt. He touched one of the roots. My skin zinged with excitement, but my hands seemed to stay calm for the time being. Then he touched one of the spirals that disappeared under my shirt and covered my breast, his finger disappearing beneath the cloth. My hands started to crackle.

  Of course, it was still there. I needed to learn to control it. How the hell was I supposed to mate with the person I loved when every time he touched me, I started sparking and sending fireworks everywhere?

  Traian placed a kiss on my lips and cupped my face with his hands. When he lifted his head up, he looked into my eyes. “I cannot resist you any longer.”

  “Why are you trying in the first place?”

  “To protect you.”

  “I don’t need protection. I just need you.”

  He kissed me again. My new tattoo burned with desire.

  He rested his forehead against mine. “We will figure this out together, but please don't disappear on me like that again.”

  My stomach twisted with a sudden pang of hunger and let out a growl.

  “And we need to teach you how to hunt.” Traian chuckled.

  Chapter 12

  “I will be back at midnight to begin your training. You have much work to do, my darling. Blessed be.” Padrick hugged me and then disappeared into the forest outside of the town.

  Traian held my hand the entire way back to the cave, with Storm curled up on his shoulder. Surprisingly, no one followed us back. The common area was empty when we arrived home, too. I didn’t mind. The trip into the underworld and the magic I’d experienced had drained me of nearly all my energy. I had just enough to walk back to my room and take a short dip in the lake to wash off all the grime from traveling underground.

  I still couldn’t believe the new tattoo on my body. I kept wanting to touch it and feel the mild zing of energy. As I dried off, Traian came in with a hot cup of blood. He stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of my partially naked body.

  I let the towel drop to my feet so he could take in the full view. “Like what you see?”

  His nostrils flared. “Why do you torture me like this?”

  “Why do you resist?” I shook my head. “Never mind. I don’t want to hurt you. I need Padrick and Satra to train me first.”

  “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Everything is dangerous as long as he’s alive. If we’re going to defeat him, I must learn how to use my new powers. Stop trying to protect me and let me figure this out.” I picked my robe up off the rocks and put it on.

  Traian stayed my hand as I looped the belt. “I have lived with the monster for five thousand years. Many have tried to destroy him, including myself, but failed terribly.” His hand went to my chin, tilting it up until my gaze met his. “He’s taken everything from me. I will not let him take you, too.”

  “So what is your plan, then? You saw those creatures in the woods by the gypsy camp.”

  Traian’s irises contract for a split second. “I have many plans I can’t discuss with you yet,” he said. “One is we leave the country.”

  I leaned in closer. “And go where? If you wanted us to hide, why bring me here? Obviously, we have attracted attention.”

  The muscles in Traian’s jaw twitched. “We had to come here. Because he doesn’t expect me to be at my home. I’m technically still in hiding.”

  “Not anymore you aren’t. How quickly do you think Octavian will get the memo?”

  “He probably already knows. I suspect he will wait, give the illusion that he doesn’t care, so we let our guard down.” Traian dropped his arms. “He’s watching us. We need to be careful.”

  “And we will.” I stood up on my tippy toes and kissed his jawline before turning toward our quarters.

  This conversation needed to be continued in private. The fact that I could sneak out of the lake room and get to the surface meant that someone could sneak in. I glanced toward the far wall where I had found the opening.

  “It’s been sealed,” Traian said from behind me.

  Darn.

  He followed me inside to my room. I took the cup of blood from him and took a long sip before setting it down gently on the edge of the rock wall. I stared at the plants around my coffin. Barely a week old, and they had doubled in size. Even in death, I hadn’t lost my green thumb.

  Storm jumped inside the open casket and curled up in the corner where I usually lay my head. Why she’d chosen me still mystified my brain. Did Eva plan that, too? I took another sip of blood. Speaking of the woman who’d dictated most of my life…

  “Are you going to ask me what happened in the Underworld?” I met Traian’s gaze.

  “Would you tell me if I asked?”

  Good question, I thought. I realized right then that he must think I don't trust him. I had run away from him—from everything, really.

  “I'm sorry I left like that. I just couldn't stay in here any longer. I felt like I was going to lose my mind. The energy kept building up in my palms, and God knows what damage I would've done if I’d stayed cooped up one more hour.”

  “You should've told me.” Traian sat down on the rock wall, on the other side of the cup, giving me space. “I know this transition has been difficult for you. But I need you to trust me. Everything I do is to protect you.”

  “I know.” I reached over and took his hand and rested it on the side of the rock wall. “I just don't know if I can trust myself yet.”

  “I've neglected my duty as your master. Not your master as in controlling, but in that I created you.”

  I enjoyed the feeling of his hand touching mine for a moment before asking the question that had bothered me since the moment I woke up in the morgue. “Why didn’t you just let me bleed out on the street? Why did you save me?”

  Traian shook his head. “I couldn’t bear to live in a world without you. I knew the transformation would change you, but your spirit and heart would stay the same. At least, I hoped. Very selfish of me, I know…Look what I have brought upon you. But I take full responsibility.”

  I gave him a sideways glance. “It's not just you. Padrick had something to do with this. So did Eva.”

  Traian twitched at the mention of the last name. “You should not have run away to the gypsies. They are very dangerous to our kind. Even though I have an agreement with Satra.”

  “The gypsies will not be a problem for me. Satra has offered to teach m
e potions and spells. Apparently, I'm also a witch.”

  Traian chuckled. “Of course, you are.”

  “Why are you laughing?” I pulled my hand away and massaged it as I felt little zings of energy spread across my fingers.

  “You are a little bit of everything. When Octavian comes, and he will come, I don't know how we are going to explain to him what you are.”

  “I am a strigoi. I drink blood, don't I?”

  Traian nodded. “Yes, from someone looking from the outside, that's the appearance—granted they don't see your fireworks, and you don’t collapse the cave on them.”

  I thought about that for second. I was strigoi in the way my eyes glowed red and in my need for blood, but I could still see the specks of green inside my irises when I looked in the mirror.

  “He’s going to want my power. Can he take it from me?”

  Traian stared off into space for a moment, and I could tell he was reliving some distant memory before he focused his gaze back on me. “He can’t do anything, but the master sorcerers who work for him will try to siphon your energy.” He shook his head. “As much as I dislike the thought of you training with that slimy elf and those devious gypsies, it would probably be for the best. They can teach you to protect your power, which is something I can’t do.”

  A shudder rippled through my body at the thought of someone pulling my energy from me. For the first time since dying, something inside me rattled a bit. What if I can’t stand up to him? What if Eva chose the wrong person? Those thoughts were merely seeds of the fear that had sprouted inside my heart.

  “Worry not, my love. We will get through this.”

  I stood up and stretched. My body felt tired after the use of magic and running through the forest and mountains. The physical exertion had worn me out.

  “You must rest. We will talk more tonight.”

  I handed Traian the empty cup. “My coffin never looked more inviting.”

  “Rest. I will be in the command room if you need me.” Traian kissed my forehead before leaving.