I tried to push my way into the house. I clenched my fist, brought my arm back, and banged on the barrier. I knocked again, over and over. It took what little strength I had left to not fall, to not return to my shell.
Her head jerked up, and the vase of dead roses fell from her hands, crashing to the ground and shattering into pieces. I blinked, and she disappeared. I blinked again, and she reappeared before me.
“Stop!” she yelled. “Do you really think the power of one vampire can withstand the power of an entire coven? You cannot break our barriers. Now you must leave here!”
“We need your help. Rogues, they’re coming. They’re coming for me.”
“Avah, you know we can’t help you anymore. You need to figure this out on your own. Now please leave.” She paused briefly before adding, “And don’t come back.”
A single tear slid down her cheek, but she turned away. When she faced me again, the tear was gone—replaced by the cold, hard stare with which she had welcomed me.
“I won’t leave. Not until I can speak to the elders. I need to learn about The Power. I think it can help us.”
She laughed. It was abrupt, mean. She stopped herself quickly. “You can’t possibly believe that The Power is still within you. You died, Avah. The Power moves on to the next chosen one. You know the prophecy.”
“No, it doesn’t. I’ve used it. It’s still within me.” I tried to reassure her, but I was losing focus. If she didn’t accept my astral self soon, I’d lose my connection to her.
“That’s not possible…” she said, confused. She turned away from me, lost in her own thoughts.
“I’m still the same. Becoming a vampire didn’t damn my soul. There’s so much we didn’t know—”
“Avah, stop! I can’t help you. Not anymore. You must leave here.”
“Not until I speak with the elders. They must know something. Rogues are coming, Mom. Whether you like it or not.” I was angry, and I was sure it showed. I wouldn’t budge. I’d die before I’d leave without information. I was stubborn, but I was my mother’s daughter.
She sighed, and the barrier lifted. With her acceptance, I was rejuvenated. I felt life flow through me just as it had when I first left to meet her. I stood tall, strong. I inhaled deeply. The feeling of power within me washed over my insecurities, my fears. I smiled and stepped inside.
“You can’t come back here, Avah. They won’t let me help you. Things… things have changed since you’ve left. There are new people in power, and they won’t let me help you.” She ran her hand through my hair, tucking loose strands behind my ear.
“I don’t understand. Are you not the high priestess anymore?”
“They may be listening. You must go!” Tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to spill.
“But we need help!”
“There’s nothing I can do to help you anymore. You must look within yourself.” She placed her hand over my heart and closed her eyes.
Listen, Avah. Listen to your heart. Find the strength within.
“It’s time to go back now. You’ve stayed too long.”
I knew she was right. My astral self had been away from its shell far too long. I never knew what would happen if I stayed in The Beyond longer than necessary, and I didn’t want to find out. I feared so much: The Power, Rogues, The Beyond… There was so much I didn’t know or understand.
“But I still haven’t any answers. I don’t know how to use The Power.”
She began pulling away. The world hazed over again, and through the smoke, I couldn’t see her silhouette any longer.
“No! Not yet! I need to speak with the elders!”
I was hovering over my body. I watched as Jasik lay beside me, whispering into my ear. He told me to be strong, to find my way back to him. Briefly, I wondered how long I had been gone. It seemed like only mere seconds had passed.
My eyes fluttered open as I reentered my body. Jasik leaned over me, running his fingers across my cheek. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead.
I smiled back and wondered how I’d break the news: the witches weren’t coming.
Jasik and I dressed in silence. The words from our late night conversation echoed in my mind.
They won’t help us.
I still couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe my own flesh and blood would leave us to die. I had accepted my new life as a vampire and the good I could accomplish with my newfound strength and immortality. Why couldn’t they? I had the ability to avenge our coven. Why couldn’t they see that? Why couldn’t they see how useful I could be?
“So what happens now?” I asked, picking up where the conversation ended the night before.
“Today, we train in combat. We all must be prepared.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked. Jasik and I hadn’t known each other for long, but I could read him easily. The way he fidgeted; the way he avoided contact. He wanted something from me, something that could be dangerous, and he didn’t know how to ask.
He exhaled dramatically and turned to face me. “We’re also going to need something from you. The witches with whom we’ve aligned ourselves are unable to assist. Our magical defenses are weak. We need to strengthen the spells cast to protect us.”
The thought of practicing magic again gave me butterflies. “Will that keep the Rogues from fighting?” I asked, hopeful.
“No, but it will provide us with necessary time.”
I said nothing. Instead, I thought. I had cast protection and barrier spells countless times, but not since I’d become a vampire. The thought of tapping into my ancestral heritage excited me, but briefly, I wondered if I could still do it. I shook my head to wipe away the ridiculous thought. I could tap into The Power, so I could certainly tap into the magic I was born with.
“I’ll do it.”
The house was eerily quiet as we made our way to breakfast. Very few vampires lingered in the hallways and dining hall.
“Where is everyone?” I asked between slurps. I had been surprised by how quickly I had become used to the taste of blood. I found it delicious and gave into my daily cravings. I relished in the thought of getting up to feed. I had quickly dismissed any thought of disgust, of fear. Feeding was a necessity now, and I was okay with that.
“Amicia has ordered everyone to stay in their chambers so that we may complete our tasks uninterrupted,” he answered before taking the final gulp of his drink.
I nodded, threw my head back, and did the same. Before swallowing, I swished it around in my mouth, letting the warm liquid roll over my tongue. In a quick, unwanted burst, memories of my childhood flashed before my eyes.
I saw my six-year-old self sitting at our table. It was Yule morning. I was walking my Gingerbread cookies around the tabletop, on which I had arranged various condiment bottles. Each represented a different place: my house, the supermarket, town square, and so on.
Suddenly, years flew by in a daze. I was ten, and I was attempting to build a cottage out of my waffles, failing miserably. Frustration got the best of me, and I tossed my plate of broken waffles into the garbage.
And then I was fifteen. I scraped my fork across the table, rolling my eyes as my cousins bickered in the corner. My mother chastised me for yet again playing with my food.
“What do you think, Avah?” Jasik asked, breaking me away from my thought. I swallowed hard.
“About what?”
“Today’s itinerary.”
“Oh, um… what’s the plan again?”
“Are you feeling well?” Jasik asked, resting his hand atop mine.
“Yeah, sorry,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Just thinking. What’s today’s plan, then?”
“The first thing we must do is strengthen the magic barriers. I’ll leave you to that while I update Amicia on your visit last night. Afterward, we’ll train. You’ll need to learn control if we’re to battle Rogues.”
“Sounds good,” I said while standing.
As we made our way out of the dinin
g hall, I noticed that the few vampires lounging around took the time to stop and smile at me. I hadn’t had much interaction with my housemates since the Rogue encounter, and though I knew my decision to protect the coven would create some relationship changes, I was still surprised to see how quickly I was accepted into their house. It was finally beginning to feel like home.
The basement quarters had an occult storage room that was stockpiled with herbs, crystals, and various ritual relics. Everything I needed to strengthen the original protection barriers was in the basement, and I found it strange that vampires had this much access to so many items used in witchcraft. These items were thought to be sacred, untouchable by immortals. As I ran my fingertips down the smooth edge of a pentacle, I realized even more so that so much I had been taught was wrong. I wasn’t sure what was fact and what was fiction. It made me queasy to think that everything I had learned had been based on lies.
“Everything you should need is in this room,” Jasik said.
“Yes, right. I guess I’ll get started. I won’t need long. I’ll just go through your stock, grab what I need, and meet you out front. The spell itself will take maybe a minute. All I can really do is add power to the original spell. Maybe try casting one of my own.”
“Anything will help,” he said with a smile.
I listened to his footsteps fade away as he walked down the hall and up the stairs. I exhaled deeply when I knew he was gone—and out of earshot.
“Okay, Avah. You can do this.”
The small room had floor-to-ceiling shelving. In the center of the room was a large prep table. I grabbed a small cardboard box that was tossed in the corner and began tossing items into it: salt; iron shavings; silver pebbles; four quartz crystals; and powdered garlic, saffron, thyme, rosemary, sage, henbane, and aconite.
I laid the ingredients out on the table, pushing the quartz crystals to the side. I pulled a dust-ridden cauldron from the corner to the center of the room. I wiped it clean and dumped the ingredients into the pot.
I lit a bundle of sage and blew out the flame. The dried herb smoked, cleansing the room, as I grabbed an athamé. I waved the athamé through the cloud of smoke, cleansing the tool. Quickly tossing the sage to the side, I mixed the cauldron’s contents with the tip of the athamé. Closing my eyes, I envisioned The Power, the protection the mixing would produce.
“Te invoco, Hecate, ariolatus est et observavit auguria deam. Venite ad me, et protector meus, in exsilium agere negativity, lucrum inde. Gun potestas mea. Custodi me, fiat!” I said, invoking the gods to purify and strengthen the contents so that we may use it for protection.
A warm mist clouded my senses as the elements obeyed my command, empowering the potion I had just created. I let out a squeal and opened my eyes. I had done it. I had called upon my magic, my Pagan heritage, and it obeyed.
I turned toward the table, leaving the cauldron where it sat, and focused on cleansing the quartz crystals as I waved the smoking sage over them. Cleansing had always been the easiest part of witchcraft. A little sage and good intentions went a long way.
With my ingredients finished, I grabbed the cauldron and crystals and went outside. The air was still, the world motionless. I imagined they watched me now. I ignored the overwhelming sensation to lower my fangs and growl at the night.
I gently took the quartz crystals out of the pot and set them on the porch. I walked to the edge of the property, stepping outside the gate. I closed my eyes, focusing on the power I had within me. In a quick motion, I ran around the perimeter of our property, dragging my feet as I went. Within minutes, I had run around a dozen times, and with each lap, I dug my heels into the ground. The groove provided ample room to bury my protection potion. In one final lap, I poured the potion into the dirt, burying it as I moved on.
“Dique deaeque omnes, ut sint propter te. Adjutorio domus. Protégé,” I said as I moved around the house. Asking the gods and vampire goddess to protect us with this offering was easy. Knowing if they’d agree to protect a house of vampires was another issue altogether.
When the potion had been poured, I dropped the cauldron onto the porch and grabbed the quartz crystals. Quickly, I set one stone at each corner of the house—north, east, south, and west.
“Custodes speculis aquilonis clamavi ad te. Speculis tutores orientis clamavi ad te. Custodes speculis austri clamavi ad te. Custodes speculis occidentis clamavi ad te. Custodes speculis, quaeso te domum hanc!” I said, begging the guardians to protect the beings of this house. My magic flowed freely into the crystals, sparking an inner glow. The light dimmed but remained lit. My spell had worked.
Smiling, I grabbed the cauldron and slowly walked up the steps of the manor. I twisted the doorknob and pulled the creaking door open, and then I heard it: a twig breaking in the distance, the rumble of feet pounding against the hard-packed ground, and the low growl of Rogues in the distance. I turned back, listening. They grew quiet. The spell was still strong. It would hold until daybreak. I was sure of it.
I didn’t know who was out there. I didn’t know why they wanted me. But I did know one thing…
“Tomorrow, we end this.”
The palm of his hand found the center of my chest in a quick jab. I was propelled backward. I hit the brick wall with a force that pushed the air out of my lungs. Chunks of brick fell beside me, a cloud of dust coating the air. I pushed myself off the ground, the bones in my chest slowly healing from the brush of death.
As I stood, my fangs lowered, and I instinctively took a predatory stance.
“Good, but you need to learn to counter attack, Avah,” Jasik said. I brushed off my hands and rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” My fangs retracted, and I kicked the pieces of stone by my feet.
“This is important. They want you, and they will stop at nothing to get you.”
“Thanks for reminding me. There’s a big bad out there, and it only wants to play with me.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I pretended I wasn’t worried, but it was all a lie. I knew Jasik could sense my growing nervousness, but I still tried to hide it. I needed everyone to believe I was as strong as they seemed to think I was.
Jasik eliminated the space between us. He placed his fingertips under my chin and lifted my head to meet his gaze.
“I’ll stop at nothing to protect you,” he whispered. The words rolled off his tongue, coated in the sweet English accent I longed to hear.
I smiled up at him and pulled him into a long, passionate kiss. We pulled away breathlessly.
“Well, look at the two lovebirds,” Lillie said, walking into the training quarters.
I stepped away from Jasik, wiping away any evidence that his lips met mine.
“No need to stop on my account,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Malik and Jeremiah followed behind her. Malik’s seriousness often matched Jasik’s, but Jeremiah could always be spotted with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. I nudged him in the gut as he passed me. He dramatically clutched his side and howled in pain. I bit back laughter.
“So what’s the plan, Boss?” Jeremiah asked, grabbing a dagger and twirling it in his hand.
“We already know how to fight together. I’m more worried about Avah. She still hasn’t tapped into all of her abilities.”
“We can reenact the fun brawl in the woods,” he said. He smiled and winked at me.
“And risk her nearly killing you again? I think not,” Lillie said. She grabbed the dagger from Jeremiah’s hand, spun it around, and tossed it through the air. It flew by my face with precision accuracy. As it whipped through the air, only centimeters from slicing my cheek, it seemed to move in slow motion. I reached forward, grabbing the weapon by the tip of the blade and threw it back—only I didn’t miss. The thin blade planted itself in the center of a bull’s eye poster that was pinned to the wall behind Lillie.
“Nice!” Jeremiah said, annunciating each syllable of the word.
“She seems to be well-trained,” Malik said.<
br />
“I was a hunter at one point, too,” I said, remembering my days of hunting vampires on our property. I realized too late that that was probably not the best thing to say in a room full of vampires.
“Your past training will be a great asset,” Jasik said. His words were comforting.
“I think so. I’ve trained for years. I’m ready for this.” I hoped my enthusiasm would give them more confidence in me, because even though they joked and smiled and played, I knew they wondered if I was ready for this fight. But what they didn’t realize was that I had been preparing for this fight my entire life.
“You can train her for centuries, Jasik, but you and I both know that won’t matter,” Malik said. He and Jasik shared a knowing glance.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means you’ll never learn to truly control your abilities until you’re forced to use them.”
“So, you’re saying—”
“He’s saying there’s no better time or place to learn to use your gift than in the midst of a war,” Jasik said.
I said nothing. I knew he was right. Emotion controlled my abilities. The only time I’d used them was when I was angry or scared. Not once was I in a controlled environment simply begging them to come out.
“Basically just throw me in the game and hope I make it out alive?” I asked. It sounded harsher than I meant it to be, and the pain of my words danced across Jasik’s face.
“Malik is right. There’s no point in trying to force a reaction. Your abilities will come out naturally. And there’s no need to train you to fight when you were born to be a Hunter,” Jasik said.
Born to be a Hunter. I had never thought of it that way, but there had been few things in life I’d excelled at—and being a Hunter was one of them.
“So then what’s the plan?” I asked.
“While you were casting protection spells, we contacted the local covens. They can’t afford to send aid. Not when this many Rogues are so close to home. With Hunters protecting their own covens, we’ll be alone in this battle.”
Blood Rose (Blood Books Book 1) Page 13
