by R. L. Weeks
I stood, but Tommy grabbed my arm before I could storm out how I wanted. “Can I talk to you outside?”
He looked at Vera, then Pierce. “Give me a minute,” he said before walking me to the door. We stepped out into the chilly hallway of the east wing.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, tapping my foot against the tile. “Witches, Tommy? Fine, perhaps I could believe with some proof, but vampires? Freaking blood-sucking vampires. Next you’ll be telling me werewolves exist!”
He grimaced. “They do.”
I sighed and rubbed my temples. “Lord, give me strength.” My gaze slowly met Tommy’s. “Did someone put something in your cocoa they missed in mine?”
Tommy shook his head at me. His gaze was fierier than usual, shining the honey in his eyes into amber. “Try to have an open mind. I know it’s a lot, but we don’t have time to persuade you, and I’m not a liar!”
Aghast, I took a step backward. “I-I wasn’t saying you’re a liar, but listen to how all this sounds—”
“Think about the way Pierce has been acting,” he stated, interrupting me. “Remember the wounds on her body? You already know we’re telling the truth. You’re just afraid to admit it. If you want evidence, it’s all around you! The closet in that room is filled with weapons and age-old books filled with enchantments. Come on, Jackson.”
I inhaled deeply, then held my breath. It felt like a hurricane was happening inside my head. “Give me a few minutes,” I said and turned my back toward him.
He placed his hand on my shoulder to comfort me, but I was too overwhelmed.
“A minute, please!” I said sharply.
I heard footsteps, followed by the door clicking shut behind me. I was alone in the dimly lit hallway.
My head was spinning. How could I begin to believe all of this? I mean, what Tommy had said was true. There was a lot I’d seen I couldn’t explain, but recognizing the alternative? It feels like a joke. If not a joke, then truly terrifying. Either way, I didn’t want to fall prey to the crazy just yet. There could very well, somehow, turn out to be a logical reason to everything going on. Perhaps I could wrap my head around the witch thing. That, actually, made the most sense to me. Stories of witches, even those practicing today, was universally known. I’d never been one to dismiss the idea of magic coming from the earth. Energy can do incredible things.
I decided to go with finding out more about witches, although Vera adamantly pointed out I wasn’t one and Pierce was which is silly.
I placed my hand back on the doorknob, but a shock of electricity soared through my fingers, making me jump backward. I landed with a thud on the floor. When I opened my eyes, in a cloud of dust was a woman. Her body was contorted, her eyes black, and lips thin. I tried to scream, but when I opened my eyes, she dove inside me.
Chapter Twenty
Pierce
Something was not right with Jackson. Over the last few days since we had figured out I was a witch, she wouldn’t let me touch her. She spent so much time on her own, except for when we were in the room in the east wing, then she was more than eager to join us on our research. She didn’t speak a lot, and poor Tommy felt neglected. I could see it. I kept making excuses for her, but it was getting ridiculous now. She was acting like an ignorant brat.
I banged on her bedroom door. “Jackie! Let me in.” I sighed when she didn’t answer. “I don’t know if it’s that your scared of me since the whole, you know, witch thing or if it’s something else, but I swear if you don’t come out and talk to me, I’ll break down this door.”
I exaggerated, but it was no more than she ever did.
Finally, the lock clicked, and the door swung open. Jackson stood in the doorway, staring at me. Her bedroom was light off, and the mirror in her bedroom was turned around.
My eyes widened. “What’s going on?”
She stepped into the corridor, closing her bedroom door behind her. “I’m fine.”
Her voice was different, more echoey. She was freaking me out. I went to touch her, but she flinched.
“Are you scared of me?” I asked, retracting my hand from her.
She looked down at my hands, then back up at my face blankly. “Yes.”
Her answer didn’t seem genuine.
“Why?”
She was getting more and more agitated by the minute. Her right eye was twitching, and her nostrils flared.
“Are you depressed?” I asked tentatively. “Maybe you need to talk to someone.”
“No,” she snapped. “Leave.” She pointed down the corridor.
My skin tingled. My eyes burned with tears, but I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
“At least talk to your boyfriend!” I said as I left.
Jackson spent no time hurrying back into her room and locking the door behind her.
I was shocked she was scared of me. I knew it was a lot to take in, me being a witch, but Jackson was never afraid of anything, especially me.
Why was her mirror turned around?
I’d have to talk to Grandma. She was being friendlier with us since we were trying to figure out why Axel was after me in particular. All the research felt like quality time together, if it wasn’t for Jackson interrupting us by searching through the cupboards and books at warp speed whenever we were in the room. The only time she had spoken was to ask me for the key to go to the room alone to research.
I’d said no. Something about her request made me feel uncertain. Usually, I trusted Jackson with my life, but my intuition said a big fat no to handing the key to her.
Vera even acted differently around her.
I needed something to eat and a strong coffee. Today was going to be a headache enough. Jackson was refusing to go to school, which meant I had to call them and tell them she was sick when she was fine, then tell Tommy when he would come to the door in a couple of hours to pick her up yet again she was locking herself away.
It was five in the morning and still dark outside. I wanted to make my coffee in time to watch the sunrise, but I needed to shower first.
I got undressed, then got into the shower and turned on the water. I rested my head against the tiles and let out a long sigh, letting the water cascade along my skin.
Since finding out I was a witch, one in the line of the Black Lily Coven, I hadn’t slept much. I spent most of my time practicing simple spells and incantations from the books I had taken from the room to read at night.
I’d gotten good at a few, but wielding magic wasn’t as easy as books and TV shows made out.
I started to wash myself but yelped when I ran the bath sponge over the bottom of my back. I hissed, then threw the sponge on the shower floor.
I stepped out, creating a small puddle around my feet, then walked to the mirror. I twisted my body so I could see my back.
Oh my God!
There was a black circle with a lily inside of it. My eyes widened. When did this happen? I had read about the tattoo marks of the Black Lily and Rose covens, but I hadn’t expected it to happen on its own. I thought maybe they tattooed it onto your skin, not that it would magically appear. I placed my fingers onto it. It was hurting less now. “So weird,” I said aloud, and stared at it for another minute, until the cold set into my skin, urging me to go back into the shower.
After I dried my hair, stared at the tattoo for a little longer, and got dressed, I walked down to the kitchen and made fresh coffee. It smelled so good, bringing a smile to my lips.
I took my hot coffee to the front porch and sat in Grandma’s rocking chair.
The droplets leftover from the early morning rain scattered the first rays of the sun as it peeked its head over the forest trees in the distance.
This was my favorite time of day. There was something so peaceful about it.
Since finding out Axel was a vampire, we had taken all the precautions. With my powers, Grandma and Tommy helped me siphon the energy from the elements and charge them into quartz crystals, w
hich we scattered around the house and door. It was like a repellent to vampires. Apparently putting garlic out wouldn’t work. Vampires didn’t burn in the sun, hate garlic, or sleep in coffins—to my disappointment. They were demons of Lucifer, his slaves here to do his bidding.
A butterfly fluttered toward me and landed on my hand. A smile crept across my cheeks.
“Hey, buddy,” I said as it settled down, nestling close to me. I’d never had one land on me before.
I reached to touch its delicate wings but it melted into blood under my touch. I jumped up and let out a small scream.
“What did I do? I’m sorry,” I cried at the puddle of blood on my hand.
“Morning.”
My heart dropped. I looked up into Axel’s presence.
“Get away from me!” I shouted, ready to run inside. Why weren’t the stones working?
He took one step forward but halted, looking discomforted.
He cracked his neck side to side. “I see you’ve put up protection.”
“Don’t pretend you haven’t tried getting in this past week!” I snapped back.
He shook his head. “With your little hunter chasing me around the forest, it’s been hard to find time between playing cat and mouse, and sleeping.”
“Don’t you only come out at night?” I asked snarkily.
He smirked. “You know that’s not true.”
I licked my dry lips. “I have powers, you know. I can make you get out of here.”
He scoffed. “I’m over one hundred years old. Your powers will be nothing more but a slight annoyance to me. You can’t hurt me.”
“Tommy’s inside,” I lied.
“No, he’s not,” he said in a deadpan tone. “I checked.” He rubbed the side of his neck. He was wounded. Had Tommy hit him with one of the knives he’d taken with him to hunt?
“So, are you going to kill me?”
He stared back at me, looking conflicted once again. The sun continued to rise, bouncing light off his dark hair, lighting it into a thousand shades of brown. He looked quite beautiful as he stood in front of me. Deceivingly human, alluring to the innocent. The demon inside hid itself well.
“You killed all those girls!” I cried.
He nodded. “I only had a description to go off.”
His nonchalance made me want to punch him in the face. “It shouldn’t matter. They were innocent girls with families, with lives and memories. People who loved them.”
He shrugged. I held my breath, reminding myself it was impossible to try to reason with a vampire. They didn’t feel like we did.
“Go ahead then.” I spready my arms out. “Kill me. That’s why you’re here, right? I won’t live in fear from you, nor will I let you hurt Jackson or anyone else…”
He waved his hand dismissively. “I have no interest in your sister. Only you.”
“What are you waiting for then?”
He rubbed the back of his neck again. “This isn’t my fault. It’s not personal against you but against your kind, your family.”
I wasn’t sure why he was stopping to offer me an explanation first, but I took the bait. “What does my family have to do with anything?”
“Your true descendants are members of the Black Lily Coven. They were all from here. We called them the Ridgeview Witches.”
I rubbed my forehead, smoothing the line that had formed between by eyebrows. “What do you mean by true descendants?”
“You’re adopted by the Harrison family. It’s why no one could find you. I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out with all the studying you’ve been doing in the old east wing library.”
Axel had been watching us, and he wanted me to know. He loved how he was getting away with it—that we thought we were safe—when really, he’d been on top of us the entire time. He was sick and twisted, but part of me still wanted to kiss his succulent lips and run my hands up and down his muscular chest.
“Anyways,” Axel said, “We knew your birth-coven family had links to the Mendozas and Harrisons. Vera and her husband were hunters. He was a werewolf, turned against his own kind. He hunted other werewolves to protect your real parents and others in their coven.”
I felt slighted a little that Grandma had kept this vital information to herself, unless he was lying… but what reason would he have to lie if he was planning on killing me anyway? What Axel didn’t know was while he was talking, I was slowly siphoning power from the house, by touching the deck, so I could fight him. I needed more time, so I kept him talking.
“Why was I adopted?”
The sun really brought out the colors in his eyes. He looked mesmerizing. I guessed it was a part of their allure, beauty. I shook my head and focused on his words.
“You are part of a prophecy, one containing five witches of the Black Lily Coven. All the witches have different powers and different curses placed upon them. They were branded when they were babies. When they were older, their powers would show, and they would become the leaders of the coven. We can’t let that happen. One of the witches has already filled her side of the prophecy. You’re the second.”
I held my breath as I processed everything he was saying. It was a lot to take in, but I’d gotten used to crazy, so nothing really surprised me anymore.
“Your adopted parents didn’t kill themselves,” he stated. “That was all me. Although, I really need to learn not to play with my food. If I had just broken their necks, I would’ve been able to get to you before your security team got in the way. You know he begged me and cried as he fought not to shoot your mother, but you just can’t beat good ole vampire compulsion.” Axel winked and smirked.
Rage boiled in my stomach, and I fought to hold back tears.
“You’re a fucking asshole,” I said, seething.
“Well, you didn’t have a problem with me being an asshole while my fingers were inside of you.”
I felt the energy buzzing around me as my entire body tensed at his words. It was building, and faint lines of blue, like static electricity, were radiating off my closed fists.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Axel tsk’d at me. “You don’t want to start this fight before you hear all the good stuff.”
“What are you talking about?!” I snapped.
His gaze darkened. “There are more things here that want you dead than just me.” He looked up at the house. “Why do you think Vera was so afraid to have you here?”
She was afraid?
Oh my God. That’s why she was rude to us when we arrived.
“Who wants me dead?”
“Her ancestors. Her dead sister. Their souls still linger inside the house. You see, they can’t get close to you without breaking down the barriers. I was hoping they’d have killed you by now and saved me the job, but no such luck. You know, you really were starting to grow on me. Your blood is so sweet.”
Tears prickled the corners of my eyes. I had ghosts and vampires after me for powers I literally just found out I had. “I don’t want to fulfil any prophecy. I’ll just leave. I’ll never use my powers. Please don’t kill me.”
He shook his head at me, making my stomach drop. “You don’t have a choice.”
“And the vampires… you… want me dead because what? The coven wants to put your kind away because you’re evil? It’s called good versus evil, and in all my books, good always wins.”
Rage filled his expression. He stepped forward, despite the powers of the crystals that were laid out around the front porch. “I obey order. Besides, your family killed mine.”
I had to remind myself that by “my family,” he meant my witch family, not my family family.
My voice softened. “How?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Axel
Ridgeview – 1931
“Axel.” My name rolled off my mother’s tongue. Her eyes were almond-shaped with ringed-red irises surrounded by a bright white, making the crimson more prominent. She handed me a half-full blood bag. I took it. My stomach grumbled, and my f
angs protruded from my gums in response to the dark-red liquid. Carefully, I pressed my lips around the tube and sucked hard, until I was cross-eyed. The blood was delicious, sedating the hunger growling within. I felt like I had been living on a desert island for days without water, then finally relief. At least for now. We were low on our supply; therefore, we had to go days without feeding at a time. It was dangerous for us. My mother was aging fast. Her skin was sagging beneath her eyes.
I was born a vampire. We aged gracefully compared to humans. My mother was sixty, and only now was she starting to look it. If we drank blood every day, it kept us young, and we could live for hundreds of years. We stop aging at twenty-five if we kept up our supply of blood. My mother hadn’t looked a day over twenty-five until we were pushed into hiding by the witches. Blood was our life-force. It regenerated our cells and was necessary for us to live, just like human’s drink water.
I pressed my back against the wall and slumped to the ground, tossing the empty blood bag on the floor. My mother rolled her eyes and picked it up. “You should learn to be more grateful!” She wagged her finger at me.
“Sorry,” I grumbled and took the bag from her hands. I stood, feeling rejuvenated from the blood, and walked to the trash can. I threw the bag in and sighed. Our home was cold. After all, we lived in a castle.
The Supernatural Order was a world I had been born into. It was all I knew for the longest time. There were vampires, sirens, witches, wendigos, and shifters, and each had their own rules. All had one shared rule: never reveal our secrets to humans. However, the lines had weakened. Most of us went into hiding. Our kind was becoming extinct as we were forced to hide in the shadows. Lucifer, trapped in the Underworld, ruled most of us. The wendigos did his bidding. The sirens had been cursed with one of the deadly sins, gluttony, and vampires were spawns from demons, his servants. The only ones not under his control were the light witches, those who used white magic: The Black Lily Coven.
