Chasing Shadows

by Rebbeca Stoddard

  Willow stopped at the local mini-mart to get some fruit, and Fiora grabbed some spicy junk food. The nymphs gasped in awe when they finally got a glimpse of my house. As we entered, the smell of homemade mac and cheese filled the kitchen. Following my nose past the cupboards and appliances, I finally found a large bowl in the microwave. I grabbed a fork and started on the gooey dish my mom had made. While I was eating, I made popcorn, grabbed a big bag of cheese puffs, various chocolates, and a box of Capri Suns. Fiora grabbed some of the snacks from me as I led the way to my bedroom. They asked me random questions about why I wasn’t popular with the kids at school—Was it because I came from money?—and I told them that just because I was raised around money didn’t mean I acted like it. After a few more questions, they dug through my movie collection and decided what movies to watch, in what order. Feeling exhausted, I crawled on my bed and got comfortable.

  The menu screen for Pitch Perfect kept the room bright. I sat up and looked around as a strange chill crept along my spine. With extreme caution I got out of bed and tiptoed to my door. The soft snores from Fiora and Willow on my bed and the crickets chirping in the distance were the only sounds I could focus on. Forcing my hearing to expand farther, I heard whispers that were so quiet they were almost silent. My head started to throb as I strained to understand the conversation. After trying for what felt like an hour, I gave up and walked back to bed. Something pulled my attention to the window. As I looked up, the chills on my spine increased. The hairs on my neck stood up, and the tingling in my fingers attacked me with full force. Our eyes met, and the tingling stopped. Big black eyes stared at me through the window. Our eyes met, and the tingling stopped. The creature’s soft face held delicate and boyish features. His skin was a golden tone. Even though I knew he was an u da yv la dv, I also knew he was not a threat. He smiled softly, waved, then disappeared into the night. An unsettling feeling covered my soul.

  I watched the sun rise from the chair by my bookshelf. Deep blue and purple hues blended throughout the sky, stars slowly started to disappear, and the sun peeked over the trees. A yawn escaped my mouth. Fiora and Willow woke up shortly after the sun began to chase away the darkness of night. Even though the boy who appeared in my window didn’t frighten me, it still left me shaken and afraid to sleep. The two nymphs looked at me with wide, curious eyes. With a shake of my head, they accepted my silence. We made our way downstairs to the kitchen. Digging around in the cupboards and drawers, I found ingredients and utensils to make breakfast. Willow cut up fresh strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and grapes while French toast sizzled on the griddle and bacon popped viciously in a skillet. Delicious aromas flowed through the kitchen, and my stomach growled. Once breakfast was done, we sat down at the table and ate in silence.

  “So, are you going to tell us what had you spooked this morning?” Willow’s voice was careful as it broke through the silence. Her eyes were curious and concerned as she waited for my answer.

  “It’s better if I just explain it all at once when we get to Clamora’s.” I hoped my explanation and tone would sedate their curiosity and confusion for the moment.

  Willow nodded her head once and continued to eat.

  The rest of the morning passed easily enough. No one asked any more questions about the previous night. We all showered, got ready, and were out the door by eight in the morning. My parents were thrilled to meet Fiora and Willow. They told the nymphs that they were welcome whenever they wanted to come over. Sebastian’s car was in its usual spot in the abandoned parking lot. Willow parked in some shade by the warehouse. I stared at the ground as we walked toward the building. As I pulled the door open, cold air swirled around my ankles and goose bumps prickled along my arms. My ears tingled as I heard faint voices. With serious concentration, I focused on the far-off sounds. It was Clamora, Sebastian, and someone else. Sebastian was furious, and he tried his hardest to keep his voice level and cool. I could hear and feel the tension rolling off him. Very cautiously, I followed the conversation to a small corner room that I had never noticed before. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open. All of the air in my lungs left with a whoosh. The boy from my window was standing next to Clamora. Her arm was hovering over his shoulder, and Sebastian was furious. My heart stopped beating as I stood there staring at the scene before me. I felt like I was in a movie where the main character finds out that someone she trusted with her life lied. Without thinking twice, I turned on my heel and exited the warehouse. There was no telling how far I was going to walk, but I knew that I had to get away from everyone.

  I reached a small park in a local neighborhood before anyone caught up to me. When I looked up, I expected it to be Clamora or one of the nymphs, but it was Sebastian. He sighed softly, ran his fingers through his hair, and sat down next me. His eyes stared at the ground under his feet. We sat there, unmoving, not speaking. I understood that he wanted to be the first to verbalize what I saw. Even though I was still upset with him, my heart ached at his frustration. Minutes passed, and it began to feel like hours. And then, he lifted his head and spoke. His voice was soft, barely audible to anyone passing by. As words poured out of his mouth, his eyes bore deeply into mine. All of my attention was on his face, not on what he was saying. Daydreams of us together filtered through my vision. Sebastian snapped his fingers in front of my face, and I jumped. Deep lines creased his forehead, and his dark eyebrows were furrowed so closely that they looked like they might become one. His beautiful green eyes were now tainted with love, anger, frustration, sadness, guilt, and concern. I shook my head and apologized.

  “Did you hear what I said?” Sebastian’s voice was confused and frustrated.

  “No. Sorry.” I kept my voice small as I shook my head.

  “Okay. I am only going to repeat myself once, so you had better listen.”

  I nodded and waited patiently for him to continue.

  “That guy who was next to Clamora is an u da yv la dv. He has been our secret weapon. But something isn’t right with him. She doesn’t want to believe it, and why should she? The gods have told her many times that he will betray her.” Sebastian shook his head angrily and continued with his explanation of this morning. “Anyway, his name is Luke. And before anyone else tells you, he is Clamora’s son.”

  “What? I mean, I knew he was an u da yv la dv, that’s why I stormed out, but her son?” It took all of my effort not to scream at him. My fingers were balled into tight little fists. Taking a deep breath, I got up and paced. I felt betrayed more than I ever had.

  “I know. She just told me this morning.” I stopped immediately and looked at him. He looked like he had been in a train wreck. His eyes were puffy and his face was ashen. Little hairs poked out all over the place on his head, and his hands were white from clenching and unclenching his fists. All of my anger dissipated and my heart ached for him even more. Cautiously I walked toward him and hugged him. At my touch, his shoulders dropped with exhaustion and he shook silently. As he wept, I used my hands to smooth down his hair and to comfort him as best I could. When he finally stopped and gained his composure, he looked at me and smiled a sad, heartbreaking smile. “I knew she had a son. She just always told me that he was dead. I guess I wasn’t supposed to know. AubrieAnna, you, Willow, and Fiora are the only ones I can trust anymore. Clamora tried to tell me how it happened, how her son became one. From what she said, the u da yv la dv are the only supernatural creatures that can change people. They are the abominations of our world. Tonight, I am going to pray to the gods, to seek out the truth. But I am going to need your help. Witches have the best chance at making contact. Since you are one-third witch, I want you to help me. I will guide you the whole way. And I promise, I swear that I will not let them harm you. Please, help me?” He looked at me through his thick eyelashes, and I knew I couldn’t say no.

  “All right, I’ll help. But only because I know you will do it anyway.”

  He smiled at me and nodded. “Let’s get out of here. I have some things
to teach you before sunset, and it will probably take all day.”

  Sebastian took me to a small Wiccan shop in Brooks. He paused for a moment outside the door before carefully stepping in. As I walked up to the entryway, I felt power that was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I stepped into the shop and looked around in awe. Even though the sun was shining outside, the inside of the store was dark, lit only by candles. Crystals covered one wall; all different shapes and sizes overflowed the shelves. Books, incense, herbs, candles, vials, and various other trinkets littered shelves. While Sebastian walked around gathering supplies, I milled around the small aisles. Something small and shiny caught my attention. It was buried under herbs and little Buddha statues. Carefully I moved stuff around and uncovered a ring. Amethyst stones jutted out from four settings, and one rose quartz stood taller in the center. The band was sterling silver, and there was an inscription on the inside. Peering closely at it, I read There are many, but you are one. Take this ring, and you will win. Be strong for us all.

  “That was hidden for someone special to find it. If you found it, you must be that special someone.” A voice made me jump. I turned to see who it was, and a small woman with long curly black hair smiled softly at me. “I am Arina. This is my shop. And you are AubrieAnna, the one who is to save us all from the destruction of the u da yv la dv. Please, take the ring. You will find it fits perfectly on your index finger. Someone is ready to purchase something. I must go.” She shook her head and walked away.

  Curious, I put the ring on my index finger, and it fit perfectly. A soft hum emanated from it and filled my whole body with power. Peeking around the corner, I saw Sebastian purchasing items from Arina. I walked to the counter and stood by him. Arina stopped what she was doing abruptly and stared at us sharply. Her movements became awkward and stiff as she finished ringing him up. Without thinking about it, I looked up at Sebastian to ask him what was wrong, but he shook his head at me. Sighing, I looked at Arina and her eyes went white. A subtle breeze fluttered papers on the counter and behind her. Her hair was thrown in all directions as she began to rise in the air. Electricity crackled and snapped around her. She cocked her head to the side and began speaking in a deep voice. “You will be burnt in the fire, but you will be cooled by the one who is different. There will be great loss, and even greater pain, yet you will have to overcome it. Sooner than later, it will all end, and that’s when you will begin the cleansing. After all, you are our salvation.” The moment she stopped talking, she dropped to the ground, her eyes went back to their light brown, and the breeze stopped. She smiled at us and told Sebastian the amount he owed her. He paid, and we left without another word.

  In the safe confines of his car, I asked, “What was that?”

  “Arina is a seer.” Sebastian pulled the car out of the parking lot as he spoke.

  “What’s a seer?” I asked, curious.

  “It is someone who sees the future, present, and past. They are extremely rare in the supernatural world.” He watched the road with tight eyes.

  “So they see everything?”

  “No. Only what the gods want them to see. And apparently, whatever she said was what they wanted her to see.”

  “How come after she stopped she acted like nothing had happened?”

  Sebastian sighed deeply. “It only happens when the gods push the vision or words directly on the seer. Normally, seers remember everything. But that is only because the gods do not touch them personally—they have someone else do it. We don’t know who or what. Only the seers do, but they are forbidden to speak of it, and if they try, they get their gift ripped away. And that is a very painful process.” The tone of his voice suggested he knew all too well what that was like.

  I simply nodded and stared out the window as we passed run-down car dealerships, small local businesses, and large fields full of grass and hay. Even though I had other questions running through my head, I figured it was best to wait and ask Willow. Sebastian continued the drive along 99E until we reached the city limits of Woodburn. He took a small weatherworn side street that passed through an old and neglected neighborhood. Small children scattered to the sidewalks as we drove by, their faces dirty with fruit, ice cream, and soil. A boy who was no more than six years old waved excitedly and grinned. Feeling a tug on my heart, I smiled graciously and waved back at him. After we passed the neighborhood, there was a fork in the road. The left side went down a windy dirt road, and the right continued on to Silverton. With a slight turn of the wheel, Sebastian took us down the dirt road. Dust clouds billowed around us, covering the car. To my surprise he navigated his way through them without trouble. Large potholes caused me to bounce around in my seat, and at times hit my head on the ceiling. Five long minutes passed before he turned down a small driveway. Saplings poked out of the ground and were extremely resilient as we drove over them. Tall grass lined both sides of the driveway, and weeds were trying to take over an area where wildflowers grew happily. I felt a calm state of being wash over my body and soul. Not even a minute had passed before Sebastian stopped the car in front of an old wooden shack.

  “We’re here.” He stepped out of the car and opened my door before getting his supplies from the trunk. I felt my heart race in my chest and my palms turn clammy with excitement and nervousness. Sebastian walked to the shed and slid the door open. Metal hinges screamed out, begging to be left alone until they got oil. An eerie silence fell over the property. No birds sang, no wind howled or whistled, crickets didn’t even chirp in the grass. Shivers trailed down my spine as I realized I was about to learn how to call upon the gods. With careful steps, I followed Sebastian.

  ***

  “AubrieAnna, you are not focusing!” His shout made me jump.

  “We have been at this for hours, Sebastian. It’s not working.” I pulled my fingers through my hair. If I couldn’t get it, then I would let him down.

  “Maybe we should try a different approach?” Sebastian sighed.

  “Sure.”

  “Okay,” he walked up behind me and put his cool hands on my shoulders. “Think about something else. Somewhere else you would rather be.” His breath fanned my neck. I tried to imagine being anywhere else, but I couldn’t do it. I wanted to be there, be in that moment, trapped with him and no one else. “Are you thinking about something?”

  “Uh, yeah.” My voice shook with each word.

  “Okay, good. Now let your body release some magic, not a lot, but just enough.” I did as he said, just as he was instructing, thinking that maybe he would praise me with a kiss if I accomplished the task. “Good. Keep thinking about what you are thinking about. And this time, let your power surround us, guide it like a thread.” His fingers tightened on my shoulders, but it wasn’t painful. As he did this, I pictured a thread of silver light wrapping around us, keeping us close together. “You are doing fantastic, my love. Now picture your light shooting up into the sky, breaking the barrier of the gods.” I forced my light to shoot up into the sky, extend into the heavens, and break through solid gold. “Shit!” Sebastian cursed, and jumped away from me.

  A loud crack surrounded us. It sounded like the skies were being torn apart by thunder. My light snapped back into my body, knocking me to the ground. Sebastian stood in a corner, trapped by thick golden bars. He struggled to get to me, to help me up and to a safe area. Thick white light seeped through the cracks of the shack, the wood shook, and small wisps of pink smoke wrapped around my ankle, pulling me toward the center of the room. I clawed at the dusty floorboards, praying that I would catch something to pull myself away with. As soon as I was in the middle of the room, everything stopped. Someone’s dark shadow loomed over me. Almost too scared to look, I peered up at a beautiful woman. She was dressed in a white toga with golden leaves and hearts holding it over one shoulder. Her thick, wavy black locks hung to her waist. I knew immediately who she was. Aphrodite was standing before me, the goddess of love and beauty. Cringing inwardly, I sighed. She truly was the most beautiful
woman I had ever seen. Before I could say anything, she turned on one heel and faced Sebastian.

  “I should have known you would be the one to call us. Perhaps you should teach her how to call on a specific god, and not just anyone who pertained to her thoughts.” I knew she was talking about how I thought of Sebastian as he was instructing me to call upon the gods. Embarrassed that she knew, I put my head down. “Now, my dear immortal child, what do you want to know?” She conjured three chairs out of thin air and sat in one. Sebastian and I remained standing, so she gestured softly at the other chairs and we complied. “Oh, if this is about her being your soul mate Amaryia reincarnated, she is.”

  Sebastian smiled softly at her. “Thank you. You do not realize how much it means to me to finally know the truth. But sadly, goddess, that is not why we called upon you.”