Witch's Brew - Spellspinners 1 (Spellspinners of Melas County)

by Heidi R. Kling

  I’m the only warlock who can Breathe too.

  It was very hard to concentrate with my arms wrapped around his shoulders and our bodies pressed into each other. I tried to shift the focus from our torsos to my mind. From his hard stomach to my brain. Not an easy task, when his fingers were skimming my spine. None of the other warlocks?

  No. And you’re the only witch?

  That I know of. Iris said I shouldn’t talk about it, so I don’t. But that’s the sort of thing that would come up, you know? You have to stop doing that. I can’t think.

  Stop doing what? He asked innocently.

  Kicking off his thighs, I floated backwards the hair swirling in front of my face blurring the sight of him. Suddenly I was shivering. The absence of his heat hollowed me out and was replaced by this horrible sense of longing—an almost foreboding feeling. I shook off the gnawing emptiness and tried to warm up my goose bumps.

  In medieval times they used to drown girls they suspected to be witches.

  My chills froze icy. That’s a weird thing to say. Besides, true witches don’t drown.

  But the girls all did.

  …Because they weren’t true witches.

  True witch?

  Back then Spellspinners possessed both dark and light powers; all true witches had the ability to Breathe. Maybe they just hadn’t tapped into it yet.

  Why are you talking about that anyway? Sort of a disturbing thing to say.

  Alone at the bottom of the sea and he’s suddenly talking about drowning witches? You might be in quasi-love with him, but he is a warlock, I reminded myself. Yes, he can Breathe, yes he can Heal, but you still haven’t seen a mark. Don’t let your guard down.

  You still don’t trust me? He looked hurt. He didn’t hear me because I wasn’t thinking sweet thoughts about it. Interesting how that worked.

  Sorry. Reflex from years of learning to hate you.

  He smiled wryly. My point is the drowning thing was just an excuse to torture and kill suspected girls. Witches can drown the same as humans.

  Yes, but many of the puritans were actually warlocks in disguise. Warlocks who suspected true witches.

  No. Come on. Warlocks are bad, but not that bad.

  Oathbreakers.

  I shrugged.

  People have always been afraid of things they can’t understand.

  And by people you mean archaic paranoid warlocks?

  If the label fits. I bumped into the coral, scratching my shoulder.

  His eyes lit up with alarm. Are you okay? He swam straight over. It’s certainly not an excuse for ignorant misogynous lunatics being controlled by mob mentality under the guise of morality, but admittedly a woman’s power is a pretty intimidating thing. He said in a low, sexy voice. Then he kissed my scratch.

  You’re such a progressive thinker, Log—where did that come from? I’d figure all you’ve been taught is Boy Power over there at Castle De Warlock.

  His brow crinkled. I think for myself. I always have.

  Well, you’ve never had to worry like we have. It’s not like they tortured and killed 60,000 of you in their fraudulent witch hunts.

  There were plenty of warlocks that went down in blazes too—but not in the same numbers, you’re right. And I’m sorry. He touched my arm.

  The sensation of our underwater kiss was so deliciously awesome, I felt like we’d float right up to the surface like the charged jellyfish bubbles encircling us.

  So yeah, I said, after we finally broke apart. When I was in middle school and learning to surf, I’d intentionally get knocked off my board just so I could explore under water without the lifeguards trying to rescue me.

  I caught the question in his smile. What? I asked.

  You’re so cute.

  I shot him a look. I’m trying my hardest not to be. There’s something else hiding behind your eyes. I can see it.

  I’m just wondering why you’re the only one with this gift.

  Before I had a chance to respond, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the midnight water.

  I want to show you something.

  We swam for a while before he pointed out a wooden skeleton buried nose down into the bottom of the sea. The spaces where windows used to be looked like empty eye sockets of a dead fish. The rainbows and sunlight had vanished. This water here was even colder. Murkier. Dangerous.

  A shipwreck.

  My eyes asked the next question.

  What does this have to do with us?

  Logan

  Everything.

  Logan pointed to Lily’s chest where her amulet was glowing, a prism of lights breaking through the darkness and illuminating the sunken ship.

  Water! Lily said, Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

  That’s the thing I want to find out, Logan said. What if what happened at the Witch’s Brew was only a small portion of what the amulet is capable of when we’re together?

  If you’re right, we should both be wearing full body armor then, because, man…

  Then Logan felt the water shift. Sensed the energies changing.

  Wait. Lil, don’t move.

  Lunging forward, he closed his fist around the amulet. Through his fingers, it flashed—streaks of magic lightning shooting through the black sea water it was struggling for a breath, and then, like the last sparks of a firecracker, the charm fizzled to black.

  Logan felt Lily’s desperation in the dark. What are you doing? I can’t see.

  Trying to pry his fingers from the amulet, Logan felt the race in her heart, but had to maintain his grip. Stay completely still.

  With his right hand, Logan felt for his knife tucked in its hiding spot against his thigh.

  There wasn’t just one.

  Two, then three, creatures emerged from the wreck. Slinking from hollowed windows, they moved like eels and resembled the oily creatures as well. Only these serpents were far more menacing. Larger than the traditional sea creatures in girth and length, their teeth were sharp as razors.

  Finally able to let go of the now-silent amulet he clutched Lily’s hand tight. They move by instinct but are blind—if we stay completely still they will swim past us.

  He hoped. He hadn’t expected them to be down here.

  Logan watched as the serpents circled them. His mind’s eye could See them—eyes cloudy-white from blindness, but instincts sharp as cut glass.

  Logan? What is that thing?

  You can See it?

  Yes.

  Lily winced and the beast bared its fangs, closing in on her neck. Logan was faster. Blade ready, he yanked the serpent into a headlock, reached around and slit its throat.

  Fluorescent blood the color of moss seeped from its neck illuminating the other two monsters that were exhaling horrendous underwater moans. A white serpent, a rare albino with pink-red eyes, turned on Logan, its fangs shimmering in the green-blood sea.

  Lily. Get to the surface.

  He’s right on you! Logan, your knife!

  The albino smashed into Logan’s hand, knocking the blade from his fingers. Pushing through the brine-streaked water, Logan watched Lily dive for it, catching it easily. Kicking off the bottom of the ocean, she smashed into the creature just as it sunk its fangs into the meatiest part of Logan’s lower arm.

  He didn’t cry out, but let the pain burn through him. Punching it in the face with his free fist, he waited for the beast to let go. Cringing under ripping flesh he watched Lily straddle the beast, stabbing it deep in its fatty back. The creature flinched, but still wouldn’t unclench its jaws. Logan knew this about the totem serpents. Like pitbulls, like sharks, once they took a bite, they wouldn’t let go.

  Slit its throat.

  Lily

  I knew immediately this was one of the creatures I saw in the ocean when I was a kid. Same inky skin, same otherworldly form.

  I didn’t want to kill it. But it was killing Logan.

  I dove on its back, scratching my way to its head. Tail slapping at my ankles, I smashed the t
op of its head with the butt of my knife until I felt its seal-like body go limp between my legs.

  Kill it.

  Wait.

  The serpent unlocked its jaws from Logan and with glowing-pink eyes—met mine. I sensed its uncertainty as he glanced at his fallen brother still floating in a stream of its own blood—twisted in a horrible state of death.

  Lily, kill it!

  Logan, it’s okay. He’s going.

  Turn your back on him and he’ll kill you.

  No. He won’t.

  I watched the creature turn and, in lonely solitude, swim back into the empty socket of the ship’s eye.

  Rushing to him, I held his face in my hand. We have to deal with your wound. Can you make it to the surface?

  He half-grinned. Don’t be so melodramatic. I’m fine.

  But I knew he wasn’t fine. He was losing a lot of blood. The serpent’s teeth were more like needles than teeth. His skin was ripped, not cut. Lashes of flesh peeled off his bones like bloody ribbons.

  The saltwater is healing.

  He frowned. The saltwater stings like hell.

  I kissed him hard on the lips, and then, clutching his good arm, I pulled him toward the place where the water meets the sky, to fix him.

  Logan winced as lashes of his bloody skin healed under my touch.

  “It was the amulet? It drew the serpents out?”

  “I’m guessing so.”

  “That’s not…I mean, you didn’t lure me down there to get eaten alive by freakish eels, right?”

  First the drowning witch comment, then luring her into a psycho serpent den?

  “Lily. Of course not.”

  Warlocks are the worst thing about our world. Don’t ever forget that.

  Iris’ words stalked me like that eel.

  Even though I didn’t have to, even though the spell was over, I left my palm on his muscle, which was still hot from my spell, wanting to believe him.

  “You can believe me. I was trying to show you this cool old shipwreck I found when I was a kid. It was, well, sort of my hangout.”

  “Aww, you wanted to take me to your secret hideaway?”

  “Hush,” he said.

  “That’s adorable.”

  “No teasing.”

  “Seriously. Is there a little waterlogged teddy bear down there too?”

  He pressed me into the sand and I stopped teasing him.

  “That never ceases to amaze me by the way.” I was lying in the crook of his arm. I leaned over and kissed the newly healed skin, drawings appeared all around it.

  “Stick around. That was nothing.”

  I traced the swirls of ink on his forearm. “They’re so beautiful. Do you know what they mean?”

  “I don’t. Do you?”

  “I understand the Celtic symbols—this one means life, this one is like the yin yang, no?” Under dark lashes his glance was disapproving.

  “What?” I asked, my chin on his chest.

  “Messing with the serpent was too risky. I know you wouldn’t have done it unless you knew he wouldn’t hurt you. So how’d you know?”

  “I just did.”

  His eyes narrowed. “How?”

  “You aren’t going to drop this are you?” I sat back up, running my fingers through wet sand.

  He sat up too. “No. I want you to be honest with me. What happened down there?” Ignoring his question, I painted the Celtic knot inked to his chest with my eyes, running down his chest, toward his hips that were barely covered by his ocean-wet pants.

  Thank the goddesses he was okay. That the serpent hadn’t hurt him worse. If anything happened to him, I’d…I just wouldn’t let it. No matter what.

  “I’m fine, Lily. You can stop worrying.”

  I punched his good shoulder. “I hate that you can Hear me.”

  “Ouch,” he play-whined. “No, you don’t.”

  “Okay, most of the time I don’t. But sometimes, I…I don’t always want you to hear everything I think…”

  “Remember the trick,” he bent forward, moving a strand of wet hair off my cheek. “Don’t think anything sweet about me.”

  I kissed him, leaned in for more, but he pulled back. Instead of meeting my lips again, his fingers rested under my chin. He looked deep into my eyes. “What happened back there? The truth, Lil.”

  “Okay, fine. I could Read him. The creature. It was the same breed I was telling you about—the same mutated sea creature I saw when I was a kid.”

  The look on his face caused a ripple of discomfort to roll down my spine. “Those serpents are our totem animals. They are warlocks’.”

  My heart stopped. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

  “I figured you knew, how else would you know how to stop them?”

  “I just followed my instincts. I don’t understand. Why was it trying to hurt you…” My voice trailed off as if I was waiting for the universe to fill in the blanks. “And didn’t try to hurt me?”

  His look was steady. I hoped it meant whatever I said next— whatever he said next didn’t matter. Theories, dark and implausible, rippled in the energy between us as we sat, thinking, saying nothing, but Hearing everything.

  Then, “Lily, where’s your amulet?”

  I felt my chest where the amulet used to hang. My heart sank. “The ocean! We have to go back.”

  “It’s too dangerous. The other serpents will be back, and they’ll bring others.”

  “Logan. I just got my amulet back, I’m not leaving without it.” I felt my eyes narrow, heat rising in my core. “This is awfully coincidental, you know. You take me down to your childhood lair, we get attacked, and my amulet just happens to turn up missing? Do your totem serpents have my amulet?”

  “Lily, I have no idea. I don’t know what they were doing down there, and you know I would never intentionally put you in harm’s way…”

  “…except when you cross me in the Gleaning.”

  “Lil. Look.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I swear, I will get it back for you.”

  “You better.”

  His eyes looked past me toward the road. “But you may have to wait.” He shielded his eyes, as bright lights—headlights—bounced down the beach toward us.

  I jumped up, grabbing his arm.

  “Is it Jacob?”

  “Jacob drives a BMW. That’s a…but Chance drives a Jeep.”

  The lights drew closer. Logan grabbed my hand and together we sprinted down the cold sand, and ducked under the old pier. Logan hid behind one of the tall wooden beams and wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, pulled me into him.

  Are they warlocks?

  I’m not sure.

  Can you trust Chance?

  Yes.

  Are you sure?

  As sure as I am about you.

  Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?

  Shh.

  We watched as two beefy men got out of the jeep, and shone their flashlights into the ocean. They scanned their beams along the beach, tracing our footprints in the sand. One of them said something into his radio. I cued right in.

  “Calling for back-up from the Cove. Two juveniles spotted, male and female, but they ran off when they saw the lights. Confirmed. Male and female. There’s a trace of blood in the sand. I’ll bring the sample into the lab.”

  Logan, we've got to get out of here. They found your blood.

  If we move, they’ll spot us.

  Logan, if they test your blood they’ll see how different your DNA is. Logan, they’ll know you weren’t human.

  Can you get rid of it?

  I think so. If you help me.

  We clutched hands and focused on the dried blood on the sand. Drop by drop we crystallized it into grains of sand.

  After, my hands tingled, coursed with our conjoined power.

  Thank you, Logan said.

  “What the...?” said the Coast Guard. “It was just here.” He shone his flashlight toward the pier. “Got an identificati
on. They’re under the pier.”

  He started toward us.

  How well can you climb? Logan touched the beam. Barnacles stuck to the wood.

  I can climb, but I loathe barnacles.

  He grinned. You’ll stab a serpent, but you won’t touch a barnacle.

  I didn’t say I wouldn’t touch one. I said I loathed them.

  Before he could utter a witty comeback, I was halfway up the beam and swinging my leg over the pier’s rail.

  A cluster of seals barked on the far end, but other than that, we were alone.

  “I guess it was a couple of seals,” the Coast Guard said. “There’s no one here. Ten-four.”

  He’s leaving. Logan’s voice behind me.

  Good.

  We were quiet for a while, waiting till the coast was clear, till we were fully alone, before joining hands and walking to the edge of the pier to look out at the horizon.

  “It’s almost dawn,” he said.

  “I’ve never spent the whole night with someone before.”

  “I hope I wasn’t too bad of company.” He turned to look at me.

  “Logan, I…”

  “I know. Me too.”

  “But I've got to get home.”

  “I know.”

  “I hate to ask you this, but…”

  He touched my elbow. “Of course I’ll find it for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “It’s the least I can do. It’s my fault it’s lost. Where can I give it back to you?”

  “Does this mean you want to see me again?” I teased.

  “Maybe.”

  “Meet me in the forest. In the euca grove where you saw me sleeping.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “Isn’t everything, Logan?”

  Above us the stars shifted then, aligned, twinkled like a code. Under the milky way’s magic he erased the distance between us, firmly tracing the bottom of my collarbone to the soft spot in my neck with his thumb, then, when I let out a small gasp, he grazed my jawline, his mouth replacing his thumb, and when his mouth met mine, he kissed me like he knew our stolen moments were running out. Like this was the last kiss we’d ever share. And I kissed him back, as if, when the danger finally caught up to us, this moment, this twinkle in time, was the shared breath we’d cling to forever.