by Multiple
I swiped at a tear coursing down my check. “It was so terrible.”
“Gods,” Sia said with an eyeroll. “When will her bond to that thing break?”
Mom let out an exhausted sigh, dipping a chip in queso. “It’s gotten better if you can believe it. She was inconsolable all night, wailing on and on about her long-lost lover Jo.” She shook her head. “Saying goodbye to her boyfriend was a sidebar.”
“He’s not my boyfriend!” I snapped. “He’s a stubborn, annoying, infuriatingly handsome fanger.”
Sia and Mom exchanged glances. “So they’re still on the fritz?” Sia asked.
My mother nodded. “He didn’t even kiss her goodnight.”
“I didn’t want him to kiss me goodnight,” I said, sticking out my lip stubbornly. I glanced over my shades at a skinny blonde who sashayed to our table. “Naomi?”
She was all smiles. “Sorry I’m late.”
Sia’s purple eyes brightened. “A shifter.”
Naomi raised a perfectly arched brow. “And you’re a fairy.”
Sia licked her lips with delight. “Why, I haven’t had shifter in twenty years.”
Naomi’s new blue eyes went silver and I could feel her putting up a ward. “Your fairy friend,” she said to me. “She gonna be a problem?”
I shot Sia a look over my shades. “No, she isn’t. Right?”
Sia rolled her eyes and slurped her shake. “Shifter meat is super tough anyway.”
Naomi pulled out a chair opposite Sia and sat down with a sigh. “I heard about Josephine.”
Mom winced at her name, like she was worried just the mention of her would push me over the edge. It wasn’t lost on Naomi, whose perfect lips curled into a grin. “She fed on Jade?”
“They kissed,” Sia replied.
“You’re really taking this ‘live like you’re dying’ thing to heart, huh?” Naomi said with a wink. She bit her lip when I pushed my shades to the crown of my head and saw I wasn’t in a joking mood. “Don’t give up hope, Jade.”
“Hope?” I snorted. “I have to face The Watchers in a few hours. I can still feel Josephine coursing through my veins. And I have a bad feeling.”
“Well, that’s why I came to see you,” Naomi said brightly, pulling out a manila folder.
I glanced at it. “A pardon?”
“Not quite.” She flipped it open. “I did a little digging and I got twenty letters of character references together.”
I looked down at them in disbelief, not even knowing what to say. I flipped through the signatures in amazement. There were a couple from some of the necromancers from the office, one from Luna Madison, the owner of a new age bookstore in Chapel Hill. I saw a couple of signatures from my fledgling days in New York – a Healer that I went to after the first ghost I summoned projected me through the wall, a troll that worked at my favorite coffee shop on 65th and Madison, and a muse I’d lent an ear to when her boyfriend was being a jerk after a burlesque show. Seeing all the support from the magical community was humbling…and it made the very real chance that today was my last day on earth heartbreaking.
This couldn’t be the end…not after I spent years feeling like a freak and an outsider. Not after psychiatrists and holy men alike had told me that prayer and drugs were the answer.
Magic had saved my life and opened a world of possibilities…I wasn’t a freak. I was a witch that could bridge the gap between the natural and supernatural world. There was still so much I wanted, needed to do.
“Twenty supernaturals staking their heads on your innocence?” Mom said, bouncing with delight. “That’s amazing, Naomi!”
“Twenty one,” Sia said with a smirk. “I’ll bring it when I come tonight.”
I flashed Sia a smile, tears welling in my eyes. “Thanks. That really means a lot.”
Sia’s round eyes widened. “You’re not gonna cry again, are you?”
I laughed, swiping at my eyes. “Tears of happiness. For now.”
She shuddered, pushing her shades down over her eyes, shielding me from view.
“So what time should I show up at the Great House?” Naomi asked, running a hand through her golden hair.
“I haven’t officially gotten my summons yet. I don’t know whether to be worried or optimistic,” I said, chomping on a tortilla chip.
“Oh, you should definitely be worried,” Sia said without missing a beat. “My great cousin Lazarus was brought up on charges of exposure after he laid into a sorority house in Connecticut back in the 60s. The humans pawned it off on Satanists of course, or a Manson copycat or something or other, but The Watchers weren’t so forgiving. They compelled him to Trial and clipped his wings.”
I gulped. When a fairy had its wings clipped, it’s a double-edged sword. First they have to go through the brutal mutilation of the Executioner hacking off their wings with a crude instrument. Then they’re scorned by the fae community, doomed to live out the rest of their days alone.
Sia let out an indignant scoff. “They didn’t even care that he was from a noble line. The Executioner just took the blade and-”
Naomi cleared her throat, exchanging a glance with Sia. Sia took stock of the ashen look on my face and my mother’s and forced a smile. “Gods, that was so long ago though!” She reached over and squeezed my hand. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”
But the damage was done. My shoulders sank with the reality of my situation. There really was no getting out of this. All signs pointed to me being royally screwed.
“You should put something in your belly, honey,” Mom insisted. “You’ve barely touched your plate.”
I glanced down at my baja taco and queso. I didn’t have much of an appetite. “I’m good.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I insist, Jade. You need to eat something.”
“Well, you know what, Mom? This could very well be my last day on Earth. You’ll have to excuse me if I’m not really in the mood to stuff my face.”
My voice carried in the muggy air, drawing the eye of nosy passerbys and customers from nearby tables.
“Your mom’s just worried about you, Jade,” Naomi said, trying to defuse the situation.
“She should worry a little more about my impending execution,” I said acidly, crossing my arms.
An uncomfortable silence descended upon the table. Everyone was suddenly extraordinarily concerned with their plates and drinks, no one wanting to say anything that might set me off.
I turned my attention to the sidewalk, watching the people stride past. Each person had a story – there was the overpaid executive, barking at some poor soul on the other end of the call. A bubbly group of co-eds in pink Delta Delta Delta tshirts giggled as they strutted by the patio. A harried looking mother followed, with a stroller in one hand and a precocious toddler in the other.
I saw three different paths that I could have ended up on if I’d decided to ignore my call to the Craft – one where I’d gone on to become successful. A ‘B’ in my own right. There was another where I’d buckled down academically and took the SAT, getting into a modest state school and spending my days gossiping and dreading finals. And then there was the mother – what would that have been like? I felt responsible for the deaths I’d unintentionally caused, but being responsible for a child, your own flesh and blood; that was a whole different thing.
I let out a sigh, pushing aside the possibilities. All that was left for me was a Trial by supernaturals who notoriously frowned upon humans being a part of their world in the first place. My possibilities were death by the blade or death by fire.
“Necro,” a voice whispered.
I glanced up at Sia. “I’m not in the mood for the name calling right now, Sia.”
She raised her eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
I swallowed. “You just said something.”
She shook her head slowly, looking at me like she thought I was losing my marbles.
“Necro.”
“There it was again!” I gasped, slamming my han
d on the table. But I was looking right at Sia, at all of them. No one had even opened their mouths.
And then I saw her.
Weaving in and out of the lunchtime hustle, she moved like an apparition. She was decked in flowing black robes that trailed the ground like a gothic wedding dress. Her face was covered by a hood, masking all and promising everything.
Mom caught the look in my eyes and turned to see what had garnered such a reaction. “What are you looking at, Jade?”
“That woman,” I said quietly. “In the cloak.” I followed her movements as she pushed back her hood, revealing long, ebony hair as dark as the night. Her features were fair and youthful except for her eyes. They were wrinkled and brittle, a white glaze covering her cornea.
“What woman in a cloak?” Mom asked, confused.
Naomi’s face fell. “It’s the Messenger. She’s come to compel Jade to court this eve.”
Mom glanced over again, her eyes wild. “But I don’t see anyone.”
“You wouldn’t,” Sia said, polishing off her chocolate milk. “The Messenger is only seen by the Accused.”
I reared back as the Messenger stopped at our table. Her milky eyes bore into mine. I wanted to look away…everything screamed for me to not look into her depths, but I had no control. I was powerless.
“Jade Catherine Murray?” Her voice was like ice water, frigid and startling.
“That’s me,” I said hoarsely.
“I am here on behalf of The Watchers. You are to report to Gaia’s Gardens at the witching hour to stand Trial for the crime of Exposure of the Supernatural World and Using Magic to Harm Mortals.”
She scanned my face. “Do you understand the charges that have been brought against you?”
“I understand,” I said hollowly.
“And you understand that failure to appear will render an automatic verdict of Guilty?”
“Y-yes.”
Mom reached over and clutched my hand for support.
The Messenger bowed, her midnight hair sinking its fingers into the pavement. “My work is done.”
She snapped her fingers and disappeared in an instant.
I let go of the breath I had been holding.
“What did she say?” Mom asked, noting the scared shitless look on my face.
“The Trial is tonight. At midnight.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Welcome to the Great House
“May filiolus servo vos,” Mom murmured for the twentieth time. “May filiolus servo vos.” She hung her hand a few inches from my heart, the other on the steering wheel.
I’d given up telling her that her chant of blessing just made me more anxious. I knew that it helped her in some way, brought her some measure of peace. When it came down to it, my mother, as powerful a witch as she was, was powerless to save me.
We turned onto the quiet street and I peered out into the dark night. When I looked with my mortal eyes, the street looked sleepy and vacant. But with my ability to see the supernatural, I could see the creatures moving in and out of the shadows.
There was a vampire couple, each impossibly beautiful. Their pale skin glistened like stars. What better first date than watching a witch get her comeuppance in the Great Hall? To the right of the car, hobbling in the bike lane, was a troll. He moved laboriously, his frazzled hair sticking out in every direction. He was probably trying to get a good seat. There was a huddle of fairies, rocking their true wings proudly, laughing as they strode toward my doom. I could feel the car shake a bit as a cyclops stomped past, leaving a giant crater in the cement.
“I’m glad that my demise will bring someone some entertainment,” I said sarcastically.
Mom flashed a sad smile. “You know how these supernaturals are. They love destruction and bloodsport.”
I crossed my arms tight over my bodice. “Everyone is betting on a guilty verdict, Mom. And I have no defense.” I let out a groan of frustration. “Why am I even bothering? I could have spent my last night in bed.”
“With Jack?” Mom said with a wink.
“I think Jack would rather meet the sun than sleep with me right now,” I said, feeling the tears build in my eyes. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but the closer we got to Gaia’s Gardens, the more I realized that vow was impossible.
I had so few people in my corner. 99% of the people in attendance hoped I’d lose my head or worst. The monsters that flocked to the Trial reminded me of viewers crouched around the TV, riveted while watching their reality TV show, hoping the contestants would eat each other alive.
Mom turned her station wagon into the side lot, parking beside a minivan. I peered out at the family behind the wheel. They looked normal enough – a beady-eyed middle-aged man unbuckled a child from a car seat. But when he turned and his face was illuminated by the streetlight, I saw the otherworldly glow in the man’s eyes. They were midnight black with golden flecks that shone like glitter. A werewolf.
I pushed my way out of the car, trying not to make eye contact. I really couldn’t handle looking at his excited expression for Baby’s First Execution.
The father started toward the wood gate, making jokes about how the best witches were extra crispy ones. The mother hung back, flashing my mother and me a smile.
“I’ve never been a big fan of these things,” the woman admitted, pausing at the rear of her van. “But my husband has to make our pup into an Alpha.” She shook her head, pulling her black shawl tight around her shoulders. “I eat live animals for sport, but I just don’t have the stomach for the pomp and circumstance.”
I tucked a curly strand behind my ear. “Why?”
“Well, it’s almost cruel what they’re doing to that girl,” she answered. “Everyone knows that they’re going to find her guilty, no matter what.”
I swallowed, my face going pale. “I-” I leaned up against the car, feeling dizzy. “I don’t-”
Mom was at my side, steadying me with a firm hand.
“Good eve,” she said to the were, giving her a ‘go away’ look.
The were obliged, scooting after her family.
I peered at the wooden gates, the fenced in area dark and foreboding. I didn’t want to go any further.
“It’ll be okay honey,” she whispered, stroking my hair. “Everything will be okay.” She started toward the gate before noticing that I was still firmly planted beside the car. “We have to go in, Jade.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. I can’t do it, Mom.”
Her face softened as she strode back to me. “Gods curse whoever put you in this bind.”
“Amen,” I seconded, picking at an invisible bit of lint on my dress.
She turned back, smoothing the front of her black shift.
“When was the first Trial?” she asked.
I cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
“When was the first Trial?” she repeated.
“Before time was time,” I answered, staring at her strangely. “The creatures bathed the world in darkness and despair. To prevent the annihilation of the creature and human race, a coalition was made.”
“The Watchers,” Mom nodded. “Go on.”
“The coalition was made up of a representative from each creature race. They, along with their consorts, slaves, and the convicted, live in the Great House. It’s a magical mobile-ish castle that appears in the Accused area for trial. And lucky for us, it’s taking residence in Gaia’s Gardens.”
“And what did they swear to do?” Mom asked, ignoring my crack.
“‘To live we must abide’,” I said with a small smile. She pulled me in for a hug and I let myself relax in her arms. “Is it going to be okay, Mom?”
She planted a kiss on my forehead. “Absolutely.”
I turned back toward the gates, watching as a steady stream of dark things fluttered inside, all talking giddily. It was the event in the supernatural community. Come one, come all.
“Okay,” I said, steeling myself. “I’m ready.”
&nbs
p; Chapter Twenty-Six
A Surprise
I tried to look past the elf hawking tshirts. One side read, “Burn baby burn!” and the other, “Off with her head!”
A wave of nausea hit me when a girl who looked no older than seven pulled hers over her ballgown. She flashed Mom and me a fangy grin before skipping off to grab a bloodsicle or something similarly horrible.
It went with the rest of the scene. Gaia’s Gardens, on its own, was a lush, exotic garden with ankle high soft green grass. The property was lined with strong oak trees that stood like centuries. If I wasn’t a part of the supernatural world, the modest greenery and an old shed would have been all I saw. The enchantments were especially strong, shielding the true nature of the property from prying eyes.
“Wow,” Mom and I said in unison.
It was like we had been transported back to medieval Europe. Fields of green surrounded us, lined with makeshift stands. Entrepreneurial creatures hawked their wares, their distorted voices joining the symphony of sounds and smells. The line stretched from where we stood near the gate to over the drawstring bridge and moat, with all types of unsavory water creatures splashing about, hoping they’d get a piece of the action as well.
Even though we were near the back of the line and I’d come to the Great House to register to work with NACA years ago, the structure still took my breath away.
Harsh stone walls stretched to the sky, like graves reaching for redemption. I could see torches burning bright in hundreds of windows, lighting the place up like the world’s most depressing birthday cake.
There were two older goblins in front of us, sharing stories about their first trials at the Great House. The first pulled at her long stringy white hair.
“Remember when we saw that fanger staked for Lytus’s birth date?”
“Mmhm,” the second cooed, scratching her pointy chin with razor-like talons. “We had the Executioner take pictures of all of us beside the corpse.”
