Into the Mystic, Volume One

by Tay LaRoi

  Rachel was smiling as if she had the devil on a leash.

  Ah, but demons like to chew through things. Careful, Rachel, my dear.

  Alyssa had plotted several ways to make their High Priestess pay; none of them, however, were very nice, and all of them would have been considered dark magic. “Do what you will do, but it will come back to you, three times over, too” kept playing over and over in her head.

  THE RITUAL WENT off smashingly, until the last part, which was when Rachel blessed everyone.

  “Great Mother, you watch us, your children, and we ask on this, the greatest night of our year, that you make us strong in spirit, courageous of heart, and gentle of soul. We give back to you, our offerings.” Rachel pointed her athame towards Belinda.

  Belinda brought up a shank of rope and a raw egg. She cracked the egg open on the stone altar and let the contents run.

  Rachel pointed at Christina, who rose and brought a knife, which she placed lovingly beside the rope and a bottle of beer. She smashed the beer bottle on the altar and let the brown liquid spill.

  Then Rachel pointed at Samantha, who placed a chalice next to the rope and blade and then opened a glass pickle jar that had been stuffed full of crushed herbs. She tossed the contents into the air. It didn’t take long for the smell of mint and rosemary to fill the grove.

  And then Rachel pointed at Alyssa.

  Alyssa tilted her head, slightly confused. She hadn’t been instructed to bring anything special as the offering.

  “Stand, Sister. You shall offer up the most sacred of all gifts.”

  Hesitantly, Alyssa approached Rachel, unaware of what was expected. Rachel grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her so she faced towards the rest of the coven. Two of her coven mates rose to take up position beside the High Priestess.

  Alyssa’s hands were grasped and yanked behind her back. The heavy rope that Belinda had brought was wrapped around, tying her hands together.

  “With this rope, you are bound to this coven, to this grove, to the Goddess.” Rachel yanked on the knot, which hurt a little. A swell of panic rose in Alyssa’s stomach. She didn’t like being restrained, and this had not been agreed to.

  What the hell is she doing?

  “With this knife, the sacred athame, I cut, symbolizing you severing the ties of the earthly realm and releasing the need for its material ways.”

  Alyssa felt the cold, sharp blade against the palm of her hand. Rachel put pressure on the knife and then quickly sliced her palm.

  “Ouch, Rachel, you bitch. What the hell?” Alyssa demanded.

  “With this chalice, we collect the life-giving fluid, your blood, sacred to the Goddess, the one who made you. With your blood, we give life to the earth in thanks.”

  Rachel spun Alyssa around, holding the chalice beneath the wounded hand and let blood weep into the cup. Alyssa could feel the dribbles as they ran across her palm, down her fingers and assumingly into the chalice. The cut stung, and the sticky wet feeling made Alyssa furious.

  Her hand throbbed in time to the drips as they fell into the chalice.

  Rachel, happy with the small amount of blood that had been collected, turned the vessel upside down and let the blood mix on the altar with the beer and egg.

  “So mote it be!” Rachel said with fervor and meaning.

  “So mote it be!” Rang out in unison from the gaggle of other women. Alyssa said nothing but glared at Rachel, who was really going to get it with guns a blazing. How dare she do this without getting consent first?

  The witches began to leave the circle one at a time, but before Rachel left, she turned and faced Alyssa. Rachel was as pissed as Alyssa.

  “You are on thin ice, sister. You never question me, or refer to me as a bitch while we are in ritual. Seriously! I should oust you here and now. This is my family’s grove. I’ll do as I please within it. Do you understand?” Rachel turned to Belinda and Marcy who were still standing beside her. “Make sure she stays here. She will not be joining us in the feast until I think she’s had enough time to contemplate her position in this coven.”

  And with that, a chain was latched to Alyssa’s bound hands and a black hood was placed over her head.

  Alyssa was left alone in the grove, where she screamed and yelled and yanked, attempting to get free.

  She was pretty much done with Rachel, her family’s grove, and this coven. As soon as she got free, she’d be letting loose on the harpy.

  Alyssa let out a guttural scream that was part growl. The sound was laced with frustration and pain. Her sliced hand continued to throb.

  She sank to her knees, crunching the fallen leaves that covered the forest floor, tugging and pulling on her bindings, when she heard a twig snap.

  More leaves close to her rustled, and another stick broke. Something, somebody was near.

  Alyssa went instantly quiet.

  Forgetting about Rachel, the ritual, and her hands being tied behind her back, Alyssa held her breath. Hoping. Could it be?

  She felt the hood twitch as something yanked it upwards. It caught a couple of times on her ears, but finally it peeled off her head.

  A rush of cool air flooded over her face as Alyssa saw a snaky, wooden vine pulling the black hood away from her. Two arms, covered in thick bark on the outside, and tawny fur on the inside reached towards Alyssa’s face. The soft fingers cupped her cheeks, and as gentle as a feather, the long green nails wiped a tear from Alyssa’s cheek that she had been unaware she had shed.

  The dryad had returned, within inches of Alyssa, whose heartbeat quickened so fast she thought it would beat right out of her chest.

  You came back, thank you…oh Goddess, thank you.

  Twinkling green eyes, which now had an outside ring of rich brown, gazed at her with sympathy. The dryad leaned in, kissed Alyssa gently on the cheek, and stroked her curly mess of hair.

  A twig finger got caught up in the frizz, and the creature looked perplexed and shocked as it tried ever so gently to tug it loose.

  The dryad bit her lower lip, as she finally untangled herself, which resulted in a sharp pull of Alyssa’s hair—something Alyssa was used to.

  Alyssa giggled.

  Instantly the dryad pulled back and regarded Alyssa and her giggle. Determining that the hair tug had not hurt her, the dryad smiled a warm, beaming grin and reached out for Alyssa’s face again.

  This time, the dryad’s reach came very close to Alyssa. The leafy being, who was more branch and silky fur than leaves, placed her slightly cool green lips onto Alyssa’s warm ones. A gentle kiss. Nothing intrusive, but definitely exploratory.

  An image flooded into Alyssa’s mind.

  Standing on top of a vast mountain hilltop, with countless wildflowers swaying gently in the breeze, a warm spring sunshine cascades down. In the middle of all this beauty, a rich heady smell of wild lilies and hoary mint fills the air. The glen is encircled by thick and lush forests, and from the edge of the vegetative circle, a single creature emerges, Alyssa’s dryad. A crown of small white bell flowers is woven in a garland sitting on top of her head as her long silken-moss hair flows in the gentle breeze.

  The woodland angel approaches with majesty and grace; taking both Alyssa’s hands, she brings them up and gently places them to her chest. She allows Alyssa to caress the soft tan fur that covers her most vulnerable parts.

  Such silky softness.

  The dryad pulled back, releasing the kiss. Alyssa, lost in the creature’s vision and her hazel eyes, was utterly spellbound. Such incredible beauty.

  “You’re so gorgeous,” Alyssa whispered.

  The dryad turned her eyes away and tilted her head. As she smiled shyly, she gently shook her head in disagreement. Instead, she returned her gaze to Alyssa and grinned from ear to ear, and with a gentle poke on Alyssa’s chest, she indicated that Alyssa was the pretty one.

  Alyssa was totally flattered but couldn’t believe the compliment. Still, another kiss. Another taste of the honeysuckle nectar from t
he emerald dappled lips was exactly what she wanted. Leaning forward, she attempted to kiss the creature back but was restrained by the ties Rachel and her henchwomen had bound her with.

  The dryad, seeing the restriction, stroked Alyssa’s cheek again, and then with a cocky smirk, her twiglike fingers made their way down Alyssa’s neck, over her chest where she caressed Alyssa’s breasts.

  Shivers ran down Alyssa’s back as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Her nipples hardened. This being was the most sensual thing she had ever seen, ever had the fortune to touch.

  “What’s your name? What should I call you?” Alyssa asked.

  The creature took a step back and shrugged. Alyssa wasn’t sure if that meant she didn’t understand the question, or if she didn’t know what her name was.

  The dryad’s hazel eyes surveyed the sacred space, searching around the grove. Then, without warning, she scampered off into the brush and fallen leaves.

  “Wait! Don’t go!” Alyssa cried out.

  But within a moment, she returned, and in her hands, she had a long sapling, barren of leaves from the fall season but still pliable. She sat, cross-legged in front of Alyssa, and held the thin branch in her hand. Closing her eyes, she puckered her lips and blew on the young growth.

  It responded by bending. Alyssa watched, totally mesmerized, the cut on her hand and her binds completely forgotten. As the sapling altered its shape, it transformed into an elegant E, and then reformed into an L, an A, and then finally an H.

  The sapling returned to its normal straightness, signaling that it was done. She walked the immature tree over to the edge of the grove and placed it back into the ground. The twig grew roots quickly and burrowed into the soft dirt.

  “Elah?” Alyssa inquired. “Your name is Elah?”

  She turned around at the sound of her name, nodding once gently in acknowledgement.

  “Elah it is then. You’re the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen, and so…” Alyssa started, but Elah walked over and placed a tender finger over Alyssa’s mouth. She turned in the direction of the path that wound and eventually led to the others.

  “Oh, be quiet or the others will come.” Alyssa whispered her guess.

  Elah nodded.

  “Do you think you could undo my hands? This is so uncomfortable.”

  Elah’s eyes brightened, and then she smiled and nodded again. She disappeared behind Alyssa and quickly untied the knots that kept her bound.

  Once her hands were free, Alyssa rubbed her wrists, trying to bring the circulation back into them but forgot about the slice across her palm. Alyssa winced in pain.

  Elah noticed instantly, registering Alyssa’s discomfort. She quickly grabbed the injured hand and inspected it carefully. Elah pointed her dainty finger with its long green nail at the cut and then stood back and put her hands on her hips, a stance Rachel was known for.

  “Yes, Rachel did that.” Alyssa said, confirming Elah’s question.

  Elah’s appearance morphed quickly. She darkened and grew cruel at the confirmation of Rachel’s action. Her bark thickened and turned grizzled. Her grass-green nails elongated and sharpened. The tawny fur that was so soft and delicate shifted to black and wiry, and pointed teeth filled the creature’s mouth. Elah’s eyes glowed a fierce and angry fluorescent lime.

  Alyssa’s fascination with Elah’s beauty disappeared like a puff of smoke vanishing in a windstorm. The sacred grove suddenly felt unwelcoming and frightening. Scrambling backwards, Alyssa no longer was touched by beauty. She was terrified by the power of the creature and the quick transformation.

  Elah watched Alyssa scamper backwards, and she transformed back into her usual placid self and quickly stepped over to Alyssa and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

  Elah’s eyebrows scrunched upwards, and her face became panicked with worry. She shook her head rapidly side to side.

  Alyssa inhaled deeply, regaining composure. Her tight shoulders slowly loosened. “Sorry,” Alyssa whispered. “You were terrifying. Let me guess, you don’t like Rachel any more than I do?”

  Elah sneered and shook her head.

  “Has she hurt you too?”

  Elah looked down at the ground. She nodded, but slowly.

  “What has she done?”

  Elah shook her head and looked away quickly.

  Alyssa took the creatures hand to comfort her. “Well, Rachel will have to do more than just cut me before I’d let her get anywhere near you. But after that last display of yours, I’d think you could protect yourself, no?”

  Elah smiled at Alyssa again and stroked her cheek. Then she invited Alyssa to sit on the ground with her. Alyssa got comfortable and sat knee to knee with the forest Goddess.

  Taking Alyssa’s wounded hand, Elah gently opened her fingers, exposing the palm and the nasty cut. She placed her own wooden hand over the top of the wound.

  Tiny shoots sprouted, quickly growing wild and spinning. Small yellowish leaves appeared but never grew very large. The air around Alyssa took on a familiar smell. It was the smell of fresh growth. Like when a leaf is broken there’s a distinctive earthy green smell. Alyssa remembered once, when camping with her parents, she had found a young sapling and stripped it of its bark, sharpening one end to a point to use as a marshmallow-roasting stick. That peeled twig, that fresh green growth underneath, the air smelled like that.

  Elah continued to smile and gazed at Alyssa without blinking for what seemed to Alyssa to be forever. The tiny supple tendrils continued to sprout and grow from the back of Elah’s hand, wrapping themselves around Alyssa’s hand, and swathed her tightly, palm against palm.

  I just want to touch you, and keep touching you…

  Elah leaned forward and kissed Alyssa again. An image flashed into Alyssa’s mind.

  Elah and Alyssa were standing, shin deep in a trickling stream of water, naked and pressed against each other. The cool running water chilled Alyssa’s feet as she felt herself swaying in Elah’s gentle and assuring arms. Alyssa rejoiced in the touch of Elah, pressed up against her, heat spreading from within her, kissing her…

  Elah picked up Alyssa’s other hand, placing it on Alyssa’s heart, and then pulled it over so that she covered Alyssa’s hand on her heart.

  Elah smiled.

  The vines unwrapped from Alyssa’s wounded hand.

  The cut had healed. In fact, there wasn’t even a red mark, no scratch, no scar, nothing.

  Alyssa gasped, “Wow. That’s amazing! Thank you!” Alyssa leaned forward and gave Elah a kiss on the cheek.

  Elah giggled silently.

  Suddenly, voices could be heard. The others were coming back.

  Elah looked frantically at Alyssa. She shook her head violently back and forth.

  “Don’t go. Please, stay,” Alyssa said.

  Elah continued to shake her head. Instead, she held out her hand again, like she had done the first time, and beckoned Alyssa to come with her.

  “Go with you? Where would we go?”

  Elah pointed to the tree.

  “I can’t go into the tree!”

  Elah frowned.

  Elah looked deeply into Alyssa’s eyes, and then she held her palm close to her chest.

  The fur on her chest parted, and underneath, soft green wood appeared. The wood gently pulled apart, exposing the next layer, and then that peeled back, and so on, and so on.

  The voices were getting close. Alyssa was scared that they were about to be interrupted. But Elah kept her hand cupped until the final layer pulled away, and from deep within the dryad a hard oblong pit appeared, just like the center of a peach fruit, but perhaps a little smaller.

  The seed dropped out of Elah’s chest, into her palm, and as the germ was expelled, the layers of tender green wood mended back together, until the top layer smoothed itself over and the tawny fur returned.

  Elah held out the seed to Alyssa.

  Alyssa held out her cupped hand as Elah lovingly placed the seed in Alyssa’s accep
ting palm.

  Elah closed her fingers around Alyssa’s hand, and while she held Alyssa, she pulled her in close and gave her another kiss.

  The forest is barren and quiet. The wind is cold and bitter, and the first snowflakes are beginning to fall. Elah and Alyssa stand together, hand in hand, but Elah looks sad, as tears fall from her chocolate-brown eyes that have flecks of ice blue in them.

  Elah drops Alyssa’s hand and then strokes her cheek with a rough wooden finger. She steps away, gently waves goodbye, and blows a kiss. She walks towards the biggest oak tree in the grove and steps into it.

  Alyssa watches in fascination as the tree absorbs the nymph, but not with any harshness or malice. The tree is welcoming. It is home. Suddenly, Elah is gone and the wizened old bark of the oak tree had changed. There in the bark, Alyssa can see Elah’s magnificent face. Her beautiful eyes closed, sleeping.

  The wind picks up, and the snow blows hard.

  Elah drew back.

  A tear formed in Alyssa’s eye. “I understand. Go. But what do I do with this?”

  Elah bent over, dug a tiny hole in the ground, and looked as if she was…

  Alyssa interrupted her, “Plant it.”

  Elah smiled, nodded, and stepped back into the forest, close to the old oak tree, and as Marcy burst into the sacred space, Elah disappeared.

  “Wait, how the hell did you get loose?” Marcy asked.

  The others were congregating, and then they all parted as Rachel made her way into the grove and walked towards Alyssa. Alyssa who was unhooded and unbound.

  Very quickly, Alyssa pocketed Elah’s seed.

  “How did you get you free?” Rachel demanded as she leered at Alyssa.

  “Looks like you don’t know how to tie a very good knot.” Alyssa said and then cocked an eyebrow as a challenge.

  Rachel grabbed Alyssa’s hand, the one that should have had a slice.

  Of course, it was completely healed.