The Enchanted Crossroads

by Dora Blume

  She stepped back and placed her hand on my cheek. “I love you, too, baby. Be careful and keep me updated. I know you’re at a turning point in your life, but you were born to change the world. Don’t forget who you are. You have a good heart and I know you’ll make the right decision.” Her eyes were shining with pride and unshed tears.

  “Thank you, mom. For everything.” I rested my eyes on hers.

  She turned and focused her attention on Leif. “I know you just met my baby girl, but please protect her. I love her more than my own life.” Her eyes stayed fixed on his. He nodded.

  “I will protect her with my own life.” He declared. My eyes flew to his. I wasn’t expecting him to say anything like that. He looked to me. My eyes were wide as I looked to him. He held his hand out to me. “Come on, Kaira. We have lots to do.” He smiled. I took his hand and we walked out of my mother’s house.

  When we got in the car he looked to me, his eyes were compassionate as he stared into mine. He took my hand and held it in both of his. “How are you doing?” His tone was soft. I wanted to hear the gravelly voice from before. I bit my lip before answering.

  “I’m okay. It’s a lot to take in, but I’m a strong girl. My mom reminded me of that just now. We’ve struggled together for years and always made it through. I have her strength and know I can make it through anything. I guess seeing her reminded me of that.” I met his eyes and I thought I almost saw wonder there. It made me wonder about what he had said to my mom about protecting me. “Why did you say that to my mom, about protecting me?”

  He turned toward the windshield dropping my hands. He scratched the dark stubble on his chin. “I meant every word of it.” He said in his low gravelly voice.

  “Really?” My voice peaked. He hadn’t actually answered the question. I wondered why, but I figured I would ask again. I’d wait until he was ready to answer.

  His eyes met mine. “Yes, I will protect you, Kaira. It’s why I didn’t leave last night. I won’t let anything happen to you.” His voice was full of sincerity.

  “But you just met me. You’re already pledging to protect me with your life. I just don’t understand. Is it because I’m one of the ones who can take out Morrigan? Do you feel some sense of obligation to protect me because I’m a descendant?” I crossed my arms over my chest. I didn’t want to admit my fear to him. What if he was only helping me because of my status as a descendant? What if he didn’t feel anything for me at all? I inhaled quickly as I thought about it.

  “No, it’s not because you’re a descendant. Although, you do give me hope for the future. I don’t want to see anything happen to you, Kaira.” His eyes were smoldering on mine.

  “Why, you barely know me? I just don’t get it.” I threw up my hands in frustration and turned away.

  “God, you’re insufferable. You don’t see it, Kaira? You’re an amazing woman.” He lifted his hand to my chin and turned my face to meet his. He inched closer to me. My eyes grew wide before his lips touched mine. At first, he touched my mouth lightly. When I responded and flecked my tongue along his bottom lip, he responded.

  His mouth became a crushing force on mine. His lips moved, hungrily, sucking and nipping at mine. I had never felt so much passion in a kiss. Most guys I’d been with were nothing like this. I felt the kiss throughout my whole body. I hungered for more. I felt his hands brush against my leg. He moved his hand up, splaying his hand on my back, pulling me closer to him. I wrapped my hands around his neck and stroked the hairs. I felt his intake of breath. After a moment, he backed away from my mouth.

  “Shit, we can’t.” He looked back to the windshield and ran his hand through his hair.

  “Why not? You said that before, but I don’t get it. What did you mean before about mages not taking this lightly?” My eyes searched his as he ran his hand through his hair again.

  “Let’s go back to my place, and I’ll explain everything. I’d like to get started on seeing what memory your mother left for you.” He started the car and put it in gear. He raced down the streets and before I knew it we were pulling up to his place. Speaking of which, I hadn’t seen Shar at my mom’s place. I thought she had said she was going to meet us there. I didn’t see her. I looked around, thinking maybe she hadn’t made herself known.

  “Did you see Shar back at my mom’s? I thought she said she was going to meet us there.” I looked around and got out of the car.

  “Come to think of it. I didn’t see her. I haven’t seen her since we left the apartment. Maybe she changed her mind about coming with us. You were with me, so she didn’t need to protect you.” He shrugged and walked up to the house.

  “That’s not really like her. I mean, she changes her mind often, but she wouldn’t have just trusted me with you. Maybe I’ll call her quick.” I took out my phone and dialed her number. I waited but when her voicemail picked up I started to worry. I dialed again and waited. When voicemail picked up again, I turned toward Leif who had stopped in the doorway.

  “I think something’s happened to Shar.” I said, worry gripping me.

  CHAPTER 9

  “She’s a Verity. She can take care of herself.” Leif shrugged.

  “That’s all you have to say? What if she’s in trouble?” I asked an accusation in my tone. He rolled his eyes at me and my cheeks flamed. I took a deep breath and glared at him.

  “She’s a Verity. I promise she can always take care of herself. Give her a few minutes and try again. Besides, she’s protected by the Goddess herself. If anyone got her, Veritas or Hecate would do something about it. Come on. We need to check out what your mom left you. Then, we need to go have a chat with your aunt.” He turned and walked into the house.

  I threw my hands up in frustration. Leif’s uncaring attitude about Shar bothered me. I protected my friends fiercely and he was blowing this off like it was nothing.

  He must trust this Goddess very much. I didn’t know this world well enough to just trust they would take care of it. I remembered him saying earlier that Hecate wouldn’t even come to Earth. Ugh, what the hell? Leif was lying to me. I took a minute to calm myself before I walked into the house. Leif was already gone when I walked in. I continued down the hall and into the kitchen. Haskell was leaning back against the counter munching on an apple.

  “Afternoon beautiful,” he smiled when I walked into the room.

  “Hey Haskell, do you know where Leif went?” I asked.

  “Yeah, he’s in the conservatory.” He took another bite of his apple and appraised me.

  “With a candlestick?” I asked.

  Haskell let out a laugh. “Love your sense of humor, but no, we have a few herbs growing in there. He likes to do any casting in there since it’s filled with so much natural light. Did your meeting with your mother go well?” His eyes appraised me.

  “As well as it could, I guess. I learned how I ended up with my mom. She helped my birth mother when she showed up to the hospital in need. She was warned of the dangers of her keeping me and that people were after her. My mom took me without question. I have a whole new respect for her after learning about what she would do for a complete stranger. My birth mother, Catherine, left a memory stone of some sort. Leif is working to view it. I should find him before he figures it out.” I crossed my arms and looked around. I had no idea where the conservatory was. The house wasn’t so big that I couldn’t find it.

  Haskell smirked, “Go down to the end of the hall. It’s the last door on the left.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I walked down the hall. The door was closed, so I hesitated outside. I knocked lightly on the door.

  “Come in,” Leif called from inside. I opened the door and my breath caught at the beauty of the room. I marveled at the brightness; the lake was beautiful from this room. The light filtered in through the picturesque windows. Along the interior wall there were antique metal shelves with plants with leaves draped from the ceiling to the floor. Leif was hovering over a book on the glass topped table in the corner. I moved
to sit in the chair next to him. I loved the green cushions on the chairs that matched the cream base of the table. Everything in the room accented the green foliage and crystal blue lake outside.

  He looked up at me when I was seated. “I found the incantation to release the memory, but it requires your blood. Your mother did an excellent job protecting this from others. Only someone with her blood can release the memory.”

  I bit my lip. “So, do I just bleed on it then?” I asked, nervous about the idea of cutting myself.

  “No, there’s an incantation you will need to read. At a specific time in the spell, you will cut your finger and drop blood onto the stone. Only then, will it release the memory. It will be a kind of projection on the wall.” He looked around the room. “I think we’ll need to do this in a different room.”

  “How about the training room?” I suggested.

  “Sounds like a plan.” He stood, closing the book. I followed him into the training room. He laid the book out on the table in the corner. Taking a step back he swept his hand in front of him and bowed slightly. I narrowed my eyes at him when he said, “after you my lady.”

  “Really? Last I checked we were in the twenty-first century.” I rolled my eyes when the corners of his mouth turned up. He must have known his gallantry would bother me. “So, what do I do exactly?” I asked, feeling butterflies in my stomach. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. I still hadn’t registered that I could probably do magic. It was surreal to be able to hold fire in my palm.

  Now, I was going to actually do magic. My heart thundered in my chest. I wasn’t sure if that was from the idea of doing magic or from the chiseled Leif giving me a smoldering look. He’d slipped off his leather jacket and I admired his biceps under his tight black t-shirt.

  He reached out and took my hand. It was such a small gesture, but it made me feel relaxed and heated all at once. “You will need to read this while holding the stone. When you finish reading this line, you will need to poke your finger and place the blood on the stone. Then you read these three lines here. Set the stone down with the smooth end facing the wall. It should project the memory on the wall.” He stared into my eyes until I nodded in understanding.

  He took a step away from the table, so I could take his spot. I took a deep breath to calm my thundering heart. It didn’t help that Leif was still looking at me. I tried to focus and stepped up to the book and read over the words. It didn’t seem to be too difficult. “Okay, I think I can do that.” I nodded, mostly to myself. I was proud of myself for how level my voice sounded.

  Leif walked to the shelf and got a small knife. He set it next to the book. “You don’t need much blood. Only a drop or two on the end of the stone should do. Are you ready to do this?” he asked. I nodded but when I looked at him out of the corner of my eye he was giving me a skeptical look. I looked back to the book to avoid his gaze.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” My voice cracked in the middle giving away my anxiety.

  “I’ll be right here with you. Don’t worry, nothing will happen to you while I’m here.” He said reassuringly. I nodded and swallowed hard. I stared at the weathered cream paper of the book. Maybe if I read the words over and over, I’d have no trouble. It wasn’t the words but the power that could be behind them. This would be just another thing reminding me that the life I had before was over. I was getting further and further from my life. Would I have to give up everything for this mission? I snuck a look at Leif. Maybe it’d be worth the sacrifice.

  “I’m not worried about physical pain, emotional pain, on the other hand,” I paused, “lasts longer. I’m not sure I’m ready to see the memory. What if it’s a bad memory? Once I see it, I can’t go back. I’m just not sure I’m ready to see whatever secret my mom left for me.”

  I took another deep breath and clenched my fists, my nails biting into my skin. The slight pain radiating from the crescent moons I’d dug into my palm was focusing my thoughts. I could do this; I was anything but a coward. I had faced down countless opponents in the courtroom. I couldn’t let fear get the best of me, now. I must have been staring at the book for a little too long because Leif cleared his throat next to me.

  “She was your mother. I don’t think she would have left anything to hurt you. She couldn’t have known when you’d see it. What if you were still a child? I don’t think she would have taken the chance. I’m here for you either way.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and stood beside me. I felt the heat of his hand all the way to my core. How was he able to affect me with the simplest gesture?

  “I don’t know.” I bit my lip.

  “I didn’t take you for one to shy away from a challenge.” His voice raised at the end, the challenge in his voice. I knew what he was doing, but annoyance flicked through me.

  “I’m not. It doesn’t make me any less nervous about what’s on there.” I picked up the stone and looked at it. I took a deep breath and ran a finger over the page on the book. I gripped the stone in my left hand. I ran my finger over the words on the page and began reading it aloud. When I finished the three lines, I lifted the dagger and poked my finger with the tip. I smeared the beaded blood onto the end of the stone. I took another breath and finished the lines. I set the stone down as Leif instructed, the flat side pointing toward the empty wall. I blew out a breath and waited.

  Suddenly, there was a light emanating from the stone. I watched as it flickered on the wall. Two figures took shape on the wall. My eyes widened as one of the figures solidified. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head. Her belly protruded out from under her black t-shirt and olive green maxi skirt. Her eyes and lips were shaped the same as mine. I smiled at the recognition. This woman was my mother. Not the woman who raised me, but the one who had sacrificed everything to save me. I felt a fealty toward her immediately.

  When her voice spoke, it was hard but the melodic tone was deep and smooth. “What are you doing here, Bethany?” Catherine asked.

  “I’m here to warn you. I know you trust Hecate and are running from Morrigan. You don’t know everything about the prophecy. You can’t keep blindly trusting Hecate without knowing the whole truth.” Bethany explained.

  “Hecate told me everything. Why would the Goddess of all mages keep something from me? She chose me to birth the descendants and I take the responsibility seriously.” Catherine spoke, her voice hard with purpose and mistrust.

  “You may trust her, but never underestimate her love for Morrigan. Theirs was a deep love that doesn’t go away with time. Her love will blind her when the time comes to end Morrigan. You need to be aware of it. Love like theirs doesn't just go away. It lingers. If it doesn’t sway Hecate to side with Morrigan, even if she doesn’t completely trust him, it will certainly turn into bitterness. She’s been holding onto these feelings for centuries and she can’t be trusted.” Bethany quipped.

  “I know all about your history too, Bethany. How do I know you’re not the one still holding the grudge. It was you who killed their children and spoke the immortal words of the prophecy. Are you here now to continue what you started? Maybe it isn’t Hecate’s love I should be worried about. Maybe it’s yours. The jealousy you had over Hecate is what created the curse in the first place.” Catherine’s eyes narrowed on Bethany.

  “Catherine, you must believe me. I have seen into the future. I know the possible outcomes of all this. You must warn the others. They will blindly follow the Goddess. They won’t see how her love for Morrigan has changed her. She hasn’t gotten over it after all these centuries.” Bethany pleaded. Behind those eyes, I could see the broken woman, still fighting for a love she’d never have. It made me sad as I watched the memory. Sad for the Goddess who wasn’t immune from heartbreak.

  “Bethany, I don’t know why you’re here, but I’m done with you. Be on your way, and let me continue on mine. I’m close to giving birth, and I don’t want you anywhere near me when I deliver. I don’t trust you. The way you acted all those centuries a
go makes you no better than any other vengeful God. You had no right to kill those children.” Catherine’s tone was fierce as she glared at the Goddess of the fates. “I can’t even fathom how a woman could kill children, children for God’s sake.” She turned her eyes away from Bethany in shame.

  “You have not foreseen what I have seen, so you could not understand the weight placed on my shoulders. Please Catherine, heed my warning. Make sure one of your children knows. Hecate cannot be trusted with blind devotion. Her love is her poison.” Bethany said before vanishing into dust.

  Catherine’s eyes turned toward where I was standing. I knew she couldn’t see me, but the look she gave was unnerving. “Trust no one child, for they are all out for themselves. Do what you feel in your own heart is right. Let destiny and love be your guide.” Suddenly, she vanished and the light from the stone was gone. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and turned to face Leif.

  “What the hell was that?” I asked, overwhelmed. I could feel myself close to breaking. A moment ago my mother was standing before me and now she was gone. I wanted to replay the memory if only to see her standing there, defiant again.

  “Um, life-altering information. Why would one of the Sisters of the Fates visit your mom? Why would anyone distrust Hecate?” He spoke as if he were asking the air. He began walking to the other side of the room, his hand scratching at his chin as he seemed lost in thought. “I can’t imagine Hecate betraying her own creation.” He mused as he continued to pace the room.

  I had no idea what to make of it. I kept thinking about the shape of my mom’s eyes. The regal way in which she spoke was astounding. She stared down a Goddess without flinching. I was proud of the woman who gave me life. She didn’t seem to be one to back down from anything. Her strength filled her words and her demeanor.

  When Bethany, the Goddess, attacked her with words, my mother had squared her shoulders and defied her. I was proud of her. I didn’t know what to think of it all, yet. I knew I would take her advice and follow my heart. I was skeptical of trusting any Goddess after what I’d learned so far. They seemed to be selfish and out for themselves. Hecate seemed to be trustworthy since she was only helping another mage when she left her children, but maybe there was more I didn’t know of the story. It made me curious to know more. I had to admit, in my experience, people were rarely as they seemed.