Blood Burdens (The Shadow World)

by Brandy Nacole

  We spend the rest of the afternoon calling Coven leaders, sending spirit messages to those without phones, and then calling Shadow leaders to spread word of the plan.

  I am in charge of contacting Queen Kaya. What a joyous occasion that is. Of course she has no technological means for communication so everything has to be done through spells. First I try a spirit message, which is a transparent figure of me that delivers the message through the haze of time to Queen Kaya. When the message reaches her, I gasp as she disregards it by swatting the mist away before she even hears its content.

  After that I try other ways, but eventually give up and summon Queen Kaya to me. Everyone is shocked by my performance, especially the Queen. But I have accomplished what I wanted, which is to get her attention. After she rambles on and on about never in her life being shown so much disrespect, I quickly remind her that she was being just as disrespectful by not accepting our messages. She then listens and says she will keep her fairies on the lookout, but that they will not engage in any sort of confrontation. I explain that we do not want that either.

  Once we contact everyone, the Elders, Lucas, Addie, and I discuss strategies for when we find Cerelia. Of course, no one has a clue how to handle that situation. The only story we have to go on was the one Danika had shared with me in London—that there was a force of Witches who had banded together to bind Cerelia. This had given Melina, a powerful daughter of Hecate’s line, the opportunity to kill her. But the binding spell didn’t work and Melina took her own life to protect her soul and to keep Cerelia from gaining more power.

  The Elders of that time helped protect the human world from Cerelia’s wrath of plagues and famine. They finally drove Cerelia away with a spell given to them directly by Hecate. It was a spell to invoke pure light of innocence into the person it was being used against. Cerelia had retreated before the spell was complete, but it had weakened her.

  We still have that option but we want Cerelia out of the picture for good. If we didn’t get rid of her permanently, we knew this problem would only resurface once Cerelia was recovered.

  It is close to dinner time by the time we all decide to call it quits. I tell the Elders that I will be heading home tomorrow but that I will keep researching ways to kill Cerelia, just like they were. They tell me they will be in contact if anything comes to light.

  As I walk out of the Elders’ House, I wonder why they’ve involved me with this. I wanted to ask them but was afraid of the answer. Or rather, I was afraid they would second-guess themselves about why they were involving me, and then decide I was no longer needed. I didn’t want that. I needed to be a part of this, even if I didn’t understand why I was.

  Addie and I are headed back to the dorms when we bump into Danika. She had popped in a few times during the day but we hadn’t spoken. Beside her was Casper. I’m shocked—to say the least—when I take in Casper’s appearance. In Canada, Casper had looked like a scruffy mountain man with his short messy black hair and scruffy beard. I had honestly thought he would show up in his bear skins again.

  Now his beard was trimmed back to a short stubble. His hair was still short and messy but in a way that looked good. In Canada, I had suspected that he was around fifty or sixty but now my guess was around forty. Amazing how much a little soap, a trim, and change of clothes could take decades off your appearance.

  I was also amazed at his wardrobe. He wore a pair of jeans neatly tucked into his boots at the bottom, with a black, button-down shirt. He looks exceptionally good for a man who lived in the wilderness.

  “Hey Racquel. Hey Addie.” Danika says with mild interest, as she peers over a clipboard. “Racquel you remember Casper, don’t you?” Danika has changed back from her jeans and t-shirt, to her business attire of tailored pants, a light pink, button-down, with a black blazer, and a pair of black flats.

  I extend my hand to Casper. “It’s nice to see you again,” I say, even though last time we met I wanted to wring his neck for not pointing me in the right direction. He had told me all about the eagle, and how special I was, though I hadn’t really listened to what he said. I had been too frustrated at the time that he didn’t know where Cerelia was.

  Casper regards me with a kind smile. “How has our little hunter been?” The few pieces of our brief conversation I do remember, involve Casper calling me a soaring warrior and hunter. I wonder if “Hunter” is going to become his nickname for me.

  “Fine. I’m still focused on finding Edwin and Cerelia.” I said.

  “Don’t worry, we will find them. I have the shifters on watch for anything suspicious.” Casper fiddles with a band on his wrist. The band is beautiful black leather, braided in eight or ten layers. Interwoven with the leather is a blue sapphire crystal in the shape of a square. Each piece of leather has inscriptions and symbols on it.

  “We appreciate that Casper.” I glance over at Addie and notice her attention is elsewhere. She’s trying to be discreet but it’s so obvious what—or should I say who—she is looking at. Her eyes keep wandering over to Reed, who is now putting fresh logs into the fire pit he was cleaning earlier. Movement behind Addie catches my eye. Witten and Lucas step out of the Elders’ back door. While Witten gestures around the grounds, Lucas focuses in on one person: Addie.

  I nudge Addie with my shoulder, and place this new development in Addie’s love life on the back burner as I say to Casper, “This is my sister Addie.” Lucas is still glancing over at Addie but is also paying attention to Witten now.

  Addie and Casper make small talk, keeping the conversation light. After a few minutes, Addie leaves to go off and freshen up before dinner and the bonfire, though why she needs to freshen up before going to a bonfire is beyond me.

  Danika glances at her list and informs us she has a few things to take care of. She leaves for the Elders’ House, passing Witten and Lucas on her way. Lucas says something to her but she ignores him and continues on into the house. I guess Lucas doesn’t have many acquaintances who like him. I know I don’t.

  I stand there with Casper, feeling a little odd. The leader of all Shape-shifters is a nice guy and all, but it’s not like we’re all buddy-buddy. “I need to go too. See you later tonight.” I rush the words out as I start to make my way toward the dorm house, but I don’t make it two steps before Casper stops me.

  “I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment.”

  I’m a little intrigued to find out what Casper needs to talk to me about. He does seem like he’s full of wisdom like Queen Kaya. But that thought knots my stomach with dread. Will he go all cryptic and weird on me? I have enough of that stuff going on as it is.

  Casper gestures to a bench. “I get a sense that you don’t like to talk about your capabilities. I’m sure it can become tiresome when people question you about it.”

  Taking a seat beside Casper, I nod. “It does. I’ve been thinking about writing a book. I could call it Racquel 101.” My attempt at a joke is lame but it broadens the smile on the Shape-shifters face.

  “I’m sure it would be a number-one seller. People are so fascinated by you yet many still fear you. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions? I don’t mind if you say no, I understand.”

  Instead of getting irritated like I normally do, I’m calm about it. There’s something about Casper that doesn’t make me feel like he’s going to judge me. As much as I respect Eldrida and even Dagna, I still feel like they want more from me.

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “I was just curious about your shifting. During lunch today, I asked Danika a few questions about your family history. She said your grandmother was part Lycan and part shifter.”

  It’s not technically a question but I confirm it anyway.

  “Do you happen to know what her mother’s shifting familiar was?”

  “I believe it was a mountain lion.” I wasn’t a hundred percent sure on that fact but I knew it was something close to that. I wasn’t going to tell Casper of my two percent doubt though.
>
  “I see. Do you know what the mountain lion’s spiritual representation is?”

  I shake my head. In fact I don’t know what any animal represents.

  Casper appears lost in his thought as he continues. “Faithful to one’s beliefs. It means she was true to herself no matter what others thought of her. She stayed true to herself and her beliefs, even if they weren’t what other people expected. The mountain lion is one of the great leaders of nature.”

  That would explain why my great-grandmother handled herself when others thought she was crazy. She did go into hiding when my grandmother was born, but that was to protect my grandmother, not herself.

  “What about your grandmother’s familiar?” Casper glances at me, his rich, honey-colored eyes shining with kindness. I knew his familiar was a bear—ironic since his eyes were honey-colored.

  “I think she could shift into whatever she wanted. No wait, she couldn’t shift into a wolf. She had tried her whole life to shift into the wolf-form but was never successful.” I remember every month on the full moon my grandmother would get agitated at not being able to turn. She would sit in the yard under the full moon and stare at it all night. Sometimes she would yell up at the moon, cursing the goddess. Other times, she would softly sob to herself. I knew her Lycan wanted out but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t release it. I’ve felt a similar pull on the full moon.

  “Most of us can shift into any form we choose, just not for a long period of time. But when we shift into our familiar form, we can stay in that form as long as we want. I often spend months as a bear. There have been some who never shift back into their human form. They prefer the peace and serenity of living as their animal familiar.” Casper peers down at his band again.

  My curiosity is piqued, and I sidetrack the conversation for a moment. “What does your band do?” I ask, gesturing to the bracelet on his wrist.

  “This keeps me connected to all the shifters, as well as the Elders. I will explain more about it tonight at the bonfire.” Casper glances over at the fire pit with an anxious expression. I wonder if he is afraid of public speaking.

  “You will be attending correct?” He asks.

  “Yeah, but I have to head home tomorrow morning. I have some things to get back to.” That reminds me I need to go call Ethan to check on Coy. Hopefully everything is fine and Coy was just being his mopey self.

  I tell Casper that I have to go make a phone call and will see him tonight.

  He stops me once again but now he seems embarrassed. “I hate to keep you from your business but I have a few more questions I would like to ask you.”

  I haven’t grown aggravated yet but I’m getting there. Still, I nod yes, to be polite.

  “Danika said you mentioned one time that you could shift into anything. Is that true?”

  “Well, I assume it is,” I answer. “If my grandmother could do it then I guess I should be able to, right?” I asked.

  “Not necessarily. It sounds like your grandmother never found her familiar. Usually when a shifter finds their familiar shifter, they don’t feel comfortable shifting into anything else. We sometimes pick another shape for protection but not unless we have to. If she was shifting in and out of different forms all the time, she may have been trying to find her familiar while also trying to release the wolf.” Casper gives me with another warm smile. It’s the kind of smile that I imagine a father would give to his child. “It is obvious that you know your familiar shape. Do you know anything about what the eagle represents?”

  I felt guilty about answering. He had told me a little about the eagle when we were by the lake but I hadn’t paid attention. “No. I’m sorry. I was preoccupied when we spoke by the lake.”

  “It’s quite alright. I understand that things were happening in your life that were more important than my ranting about your spiritual familiar. But you do need to understand that the eagle is special. The eagle represents the warrior of the sky. The eagle flies fearlessly between heaven and earth to bring courage to us. You are full of that courage and fearlessness, Racquel. You just need to let go of the fear holding you to the ground, and fly.”

  Chapter Six

  Addie sleeps all the way home. She’s probably very tired after being up all night talking with her friends and saying goodbye.

  I, on the other hand, have gears turning in my head as I replay Casper’s words from last night. At least I have something to occupy me as I drive.

  Casper began his speech with the Shape-shifters’ past. They were created by the gods as punishment for a crime. The gods turned them into various animals to mock them for their indiscretions. They would be left in their animal form until death.

  The shifters were finally vindicated, when- Athena, goddess of wisdom, intervened during a fight between Zeus and a mortal man. According to Casper, the mortal man wanted his son back, but Zeus refused, saying he would live the rest of his life in shame for what he had done. Casper never did enlighten us on what had happened between the boy and Zeus that had made the god so angry.

  Athena had taken pity on the father, and had made a compromise with Zeus. She then created the shifters, half human and half familiar. The shifter would be able to shift between human and animal for the rest of their mortal life. Zeus had refused at first, but Athena convinced him the shifters would be unable to fight the need to release their familiar, therefore the shame of their indiscretions would be evident every time this transformation happened.

  Casper had then gone on to talk about the Shadow beings and their creators. It was a nice refresher. I hadn’t heard the stories of the creators since I was little, and the way Casper told the stories had me completely enthralled. The goddess Bendis created the Lycans after Hades created the Vampires. Of course, Hades wanted the Vampires to inflict fear upon the humans. Bendis was displeased by the Vampires and created the moon children to rid the world of the night children.

  Poseidon was the creator of the Merfolk, who ruled the sea. The Merfolk didn’t mingle with the land Shadows, of course, how could they? They didn’t have legs and we didn’t have fins, so socializing with them was a little tricky. But Poseidon wanted a Shadow under his rule since the other gods were creating their own Shadows. I guess no matter how old and powerful someone is, they’re still going to throw tantrums when they see others with things they don’t have.

  The Fae’s story was quite interesting, and probably my favorite. Angels of the human god, created miniature versions of themselves—the fairies—to help protect the humans, their environment, and to spy on the other Shadows. The fairies, however, became corrupt. They started working not only for the angels but for the other gods as well. When the angels found out, the Fae were disgraced for their betrayal. The angels took away their ability to transform into normal-sized human beings and left them stuck in their small size for the rest of their lives, except for the first two weeks of Samhain. Casper was such a good storyteller, chills were crawling over my skin by the time he was finished.

  The whole point of Casper reminding us of the creators, was to emphasize the importance of the Shadow World. Not just its creation, but also its evolution. He stressed our alliance and how all Shadows had come together after the gods faded away and died. The Shadow World and our laws were created after each Shadow being had elected a leader to represent them. They then formed the Ruling Council to rule and govern all Shadows.

  He told the story of Athena asking Hecate for help before the gods passed away. Athena knew that the Shape-shifters were having a hard time communicating. Athena had a vision of the shifters’ elected leader, who often lost track of his subjects. Athena then went to Hecate, who had created the band that Casper was wearing, allowing the leader who wore it to communicate with any living shifter on earth.

  Casper emphasized his point that we were all once separate but that now we stand together. Now a great evil is weighing down on the Shadows, trying to separate us once again, he reminded us. He challenged everyone around the bonfi
re to take a stand, grab a hand, and hold our band of togetherness. Casper was one of those guys who could lead an army of 300 into battle against an army of thousands, and even ease all the soldiers’ fears before the battle call was sounded, with his confidence.

  Though he was a strong leader and an inspirational speaker, my old pity well still resurfaced, making me feel lonely once again. I realized that I too have a creator. Cerelia. That fact sank me deeper into the pity well in my soul. If Cerelia succeeded in her plans to rule the earth, I would have siblings to worry about. Why couldn’t my creator have been compassionate and caring like Hecate or Athena? Why did I have to be stuck with wicked, unhinged Cerelia?

  My pity starts to surface again, but just like at the bonfire I push away those feelings. I’ve got more important things to worry about than my own self-indulgent pity parties.

  When I finally pull into the driveway, I nudge Addie awake. With a yawn, Addie stretches before getting out of the car. I open my door to get out, bracing myself for what I might face when I go inside. I’m imagining trash and dishes strewn all over the house, so I’m pleasantly surprised to open the door and see the house exactly as we left it.

  Ethan is sitting on the couch, reading a book. He doesn’t even look up as we walk through the door. His face is serious and focused on the pages before him. “Hey Ethan, glad to see the house is intact,” I say, by way of hello. Instead of answering, he just holds up his hand to shush me.

  I resist making a gesture I have ready and look at the cover of his book. It isn’t a Shadow book. There aren’t too many writers from our world who write fiction for the human world, and the books Shadows write are textbooks not permitted for human eyes. There’s a picture of a woman standing on the front of the cover. Another sign it’s not a Shadow book. Shadows only use nature, biological, or pictures of our gods on their covers. The woman’s face is set in a hard grimace as she peers over a city. She’s wearing a black leather duster that ripples out behind her. She’s also holding a gun in her hand. Ahh. Underworld.