by Asia Marquis
“Thank you,” she said, bowing low and taking one of the many knives laying on the ground. She used it to slit open her thumb, bleeding onto the soil. A singular flower grew from her blood, purple and sparkling.
That was all The Fates asked of you for their visions. A drop of blood. Some thought it a heavy price, but when you were searching for the Witch Queen, there was almost nothing one wouldn't pay.
As she drifted away from The Fates and back to reality, Terra's hand moved on its own to draw a map on the mat she sat on. It grabbed a nearby pen and moved quickly, but the picture wasn't sloppy. It was exactly what she saw in the stars.
Once fully aware, Terra redrew the map on paper and grabbed her bag again. It was nearly empty, and contained only what she needed most. Her Book of Shadows, chewing gum, and a stick cut from a cherry tree that she could use as a wand in a pinch. Then she bandaged her still bleeding thumb.
She ran out her door and to the train station, which she would take to Mindren Manor. From there, she would walk until she found Enot Craetr, and hopefully, a sign of her mother.
To Terra, the country landscape outside of Mindren was basically an alien land. She had only been there once, for a failed lesson in horseback riding that ended in a broken arm. Helina continued to take the lessons for a year, but Terra stayed home and played the violin. Until she gave that up, too.
She enjoyed fencing for a few months, until she gave herself a few good welts while playing with a foil and Anoud forbid her from holding a weapon ever again.
Over her short life, she had given up a lot of hobbies. Perhaps she would give up many more, until she finally found something she loved.
She approached the grand house surrounded on both sides by fruit trees. Peaches here, apples there. She considered taking an apple from a tree, but focused on the house of Enot Craetr.
Before she could even step on the porch, a young man in fine black clothing stepped out and pointed a shotgun right in her face. He didn't look like he was afraid to shoot if he needed to. Terra put her hands up. The man scoffed.
“State your business or leave.”
He looked more like a businessman than a farmer, so to see him holding a shotgun would have been comical if Terra hadn't been afraid of being shot at that very moment.
“I'm here to see Enot Craetr,” she said, holding up her hands.
“That's me, but that doesn't tell me what your business is. Why are you on my property?” He glared at her, his silver eyes sparkling in the sun. “You have five seconds before I start shooting.”
“Wait! You used to know my mother. I'm looking for her.” She hoped that would convince him to lower his gun. The last thing she needed was to piss him off.
Enot Craetr lowered the shotgun, which Terra noticed had her mother's royal crest etched into the barrel, and stepped towards the girl, examining her face closely. He reached out and touched her chin, tipping her face from side of side. “You're Anai Neithercutt's daughter?” His fingers on her chin left a burning, tingling sensation. It wasn't unpleasant, but made her uncomfortable.
“One of them.” She pulled away, wanting to not feel those strange feelings anymore. It must have been a spell to force her to speak the truth, or one to see the truth through lies. Maybe it was a simple protection spell.
Enot glanced around, for what Terra did not know. “Come inside, and we will talk about your mother,” he said in a hushed tone, pressing his hand against her lower back and ushering her up the stairs. The touch, again, burned and fizzled inside of her.
The inside of Enot's grand house was beautifully furnished, with antique French furniture, imported from Mindren's neighbor that did not know that Mindren existed. There were paintings of various women, each one wearing very little clothing. One looked orgasmic and was covered in blood.
A pitcher of red liquid sat on the mahogany table in front of the couch. A piano could be seen in the next room, as well as an easel. There was a half-finished painting of a nude woman on it. Her skin was dark, but the painter had been skilled enough to show the opalescent sheen on her skin that gave away an African vampire.
The air felt cold and damp, despite the hot dry weather outside. There was a part of the room with the piano that sang with magic, a protection spell, one designed to ward against destruction.
She turned to face the young man as he shut the door behind them. “Sorry, but how can you be Enot? You barely look any older than me.” She really looked at him now, but only really noticed that he was pleasing to look at. It wasn't a glamor that made him so handsome, she could tell this was his true form. His lips were full and looked soft. His eyes were almond shape and looked kind, though wary.
“No one ever expects The Slaughterer's adviser to be a vampire. I won't hold it against you.”
Terra stepped back, gasping. “You're a vampire? If you kill me, the whole world of witches will be in your front yard with pitchforks-”
He held up a hand to silence her. “I'm not going to kill you. Your mother trusted me, I would expect you to do the same.”
How could she trust a man who had just used the horrible epithet against her mother that the vampires used to slander her? Queen Anai was only trying to save her own people, and killed only when necessary.
In spite of the insult, she felt inexplicably safe with Enot, though he was a stranger and a vampire at that. Being close to him felt good. That feeling of safety put Terra even more on edge. Is he trying to put a spell on me? Maybe he's hiding something about my mother.
“Unfortunately, there isn't much that I can tell you. Your mother is gone. For all I know, she could be dead.” Enot draped over his elegant couch, looking like one of his own paintings. His hair fell slightly to the side as he watched her, his eyes heavily lidded as if he were bored. “And if I did know, I am in no hurry to see more of my people killed for yours.”
“You don't know anything? At all?” She asked, sitting down next to him. She put her hand on his thigh. “And we don't want to kill your people. I just need to end this… war. You can sense it, too, can't you?”
“It can't be ended,” he answered stubbornly.
Terra slipped her hand an inch higher. “I think it can. My mother can save all of us.” She licked her lips just as he was staring at them.
He knew exactly what she was trying to do, but he wasn't going to stop her. He raised his eyebrow, then looked away, outside at the sun shining through the apple trees. “I'm afraid I don't. If I did know where she was, I might not be an outcast right now. When she left, I was threatened with murder or exile.”
A ray of light touched his hand, which confirmed to Terra that he was one of the powerless vampires. His magic had been drained before he was even given his second life by the same force that was draining witch magic.
That issue was for another time. A problem to be solved by someone else.
Terra's hand creeped forward toward his manhood as she feigned sympathy. “That must be awful.” She felt something twitch below her hand. “Are you sure there's no way I can convince you to tell me more?”
She was trying her damnedest to get anything out of the man, even if it led to a dead end. His was the only name ever mentioned in Anai's diaries, aside from her father's name. There must have been a reason.
I will do what I must to get your information from you. She leaned forward, falling to her knees before him, and nuzzled her face against his lap. “I'd do anything for your memories of her.”
He pulled her up sharply, looking deep into her eyes. Then his lips were on hers, in an instant. They both knew this was nothing more than a game, a ploy for information, but vampires were inherently sexual creatures and could never say no to seduction. He desired Terra as much as he had desired her mother, but Anai never gave in, never let him taste her.
So he would taste Terra.
It was almost sinful, the thrill he got from that. He kissed her, hard, his sharpest of teeth grazing against her lip. His mouth was all over her neck, and then he
r shirt was off and his lips pressed against the flesh hidden beneath it, her bright pink nipples already so alert from his attention.
It was all he could do to avoid sinking his teeth into her flesh, to taste her royal blood and gain some of her power, if only for a moment.
She gasped and held onto Enot tightly. Once he had his fill of her breasts, he pushed her to the ground in front of the couch, spreading his legs and undoing his pants. He brought his pale cock out, and her mouth watered. It wasn't her first cock, but she had never had a vampire before.
She licked it. It was slightly cold, but otherwise as hard and manly as any other before him. Her hand gripped the base before she swallowed his cock whole. Enot leaned his head back and moaned.
Terra's tongue flicked the skin with each movement, her hand twisting at the base while the other kneaded Enot's balls. His hands ran through her hair, and then as he was about to come he tensed and forced her head down hard, not letting her up until he was spent and she had swallowed every drop. The taste was bitter, and salty, and Enot's cum was so thick in her throat.
When he let go of her, she flung herself back, gasping and coughing. He was breathing heavily, too. He gripped his cock hard, stroking it once before putting it back in its place, hidden beneath fabric.
“You've convinced me. Come with me, Terra.”
She followed Enot through his large house. She thought how easy his exile must be, with lovers coming through often, and land and a house that could host a party every day in a different room for a month.
Terra also wondered what he could have done, really, to cause his own race to distrust him.
They walked through a set of double doors into a large room that had once been for entertaining, but had been converted into a bedroom. An opulent bed pressed against the farthest wall was covered in silks, furs, and pillows, with a black cat purring on top. She opened one yellow eye to examine Terra, before returning to sleep.
Terra breathed a sigh of relief that the cat trusted her. A man with a cat couldn't be too bad. Maybe I've been too hard on Enot?
He flung open his closet doors and rummaged around, through fine shirts and black slacks, until he pulled out a trunk locked tight. It was black leather, with three locks on it. Enot pulled keys from his neck and opened each lock slowly.
The trunk opened, and beside books and potions, there was a necklace. A golden necklace with a blue diamond on it, bigger than any jewel Terra had seen before. Her mouth hung open in awe.
“Your mother had a friend, many years ago before you were even a dream. That woman had a family heirloom, spelled with a unique magic I've never encountered before. She took that magic and used it to create a powerful amulet for your mother. It was created to protect the Witch Kingdom, and only one with Anai's blood could wear it.” He played with the jewel in his hand, shivering when he touched it.
“Your mother gave me this amulet, and made me promise, to swear, that I would give this to one of her daughters when they married. So don't wear it. But you might be able to use it to find that friend.”
“What was her name?” Terra asked, holding out her hand to receive the amulet.
Enot shook his head. “I don't know. She was before my time, and as I understand it she was a spy for your mother. But if you can find her, you might get the answers you seek.”
Terra clutched the necklace, pressing it against her chest. The metal smelled of roses. There was definitely residual energy in the metal that could be used to find a previous owner. With a little bit of magic, she'd be one step closer to her mother.
“Terra?”
She looked up at Enot, his handsome face pensive. “Yes?”
“If you find your mother, tell her I have remained faithful. I miss her, dearly.”
Terra nodded. “I will. Thank you, Enot.” She wondered if he had been Anai's lover in the past. Had she just sucked the cock of someone her own mother slept with? The thought disturbed her, so she pushed it out of her mind.
Enot walked her to the front door. The whole time she stared at the amulet, mesmerized by the rose scent that came from it. It smelled so beautiful.
“One last thing,” Enot said as she stepped onto his porch, the sun just setting. “You may find that Anai is not the weapon you want her to be.”
She wanted to ask what he meant, but she couldn't. Before she could even open her mouth, he had shut the door and left her to the world. He gave her all he had.
Terra returned to Mindren, shopping the local stores for what she needed for a spell. With vervaine, dragon's blood, marijuana and a blue candle, she would be able to see the necklace's past.
She might be able to see her mother. Her wild hair, similar to Terra's. Her green eyes, which were more like Helina's. She might see her mother in action, using magic.
Deep down inside, Terra knew her mother wasn't dead, that she had disappeared and for a good reason. All that mattered was finding out why, and finding out where her mother was. It was time to end this was and put the queen back on the vacant throne. No other outcome was acceptable.
A beautiful blue diamond, seemingly innocent, could be all she needed to end her search once and for all. But would it be enough? Or would it only put Terra in more danger?
Chapter Two
Terra's apartment was lit only by candles. A hum, magically produced to help her focus on the task at hand, buzzed through the air around her. Her couch and table, the only bulky objects in the living room of her tiny apartment, were pushed against the wall so that she could sit on the floor. Below her was a pentagram, painted in white on the floor by the previous tenant.
The necklace in her hand was whispering to her, a prelude to the directions that would soon come. Once the spell was complete, and Terra had finished her chant, the necklace would lead her to the previous owner.
That was the plan, at least. Sometimes object and memory spells confused certain truths, or mixed one owner with another. She could end up following the trail of someone who lived in the United States thirty years ago, instead of getting anything useful for finding her mother.
The chant ended just in time for the tickle in her nose to cause a sneeze. She looked down at the necklace. “Alright, show me the way.”
Standing, she stuffed the necklace in the left breast pocket of her dress. Grabbing her bag once more, she was out the door and onto the streets.
Trusting her instincts, she turned left. It didn't take long for Terra to feel the tug of the necklace, pulling her down an alleyway and onto another busy street. Each time she passed a house or apartment complex, she wondered if that might be the one, it might hold answers.
They weren't the right place.
She was pulled down another alleyway, where she had to pass a homeless man only to find a dead end. She sighed and looked around, but soon the necklace was pulling her out of the alleyway.
It made Terra retrace her steps back to that first alley, and then in a completely different direction. Giving up hope that this would be a fast process, she simply followed where the necklace led. Sometimes the spells to reveal the past of objects caused them to literally walk through the steps they once followed.
With a quickened pulse, Terra realized that must mean she was walking in the footsteps of her mother. She followed the necklace's directions to another three dead ends before she got frustrated. “You get one more chance,” she whispered to it. Her feet were starting to ache, as was her head.
Onto the main street of the city, she walked for nearly an hour, until the sun was setting and the warmth of the day was fading. Finally, there was a tug, harder than the sensations leading her around before. Her shirt nearly pulled away from her body, like the fabric wanted to tear away.
Terra was pulled into a cemetery, and her heart sank. Did her mother really die? She weaved in and out of the stones, alone save for one other man, about her age. She glanced at him, but otherwise ignored him.
The necklace fell silent, no more tugs or movements. She looked around,
checking the names on the tombstones. Was the previous owner of the necklace dead? Could her own mother be buried somewhere in these graves?
She looked to the man again, whose aura is one of great sorrow. It swirled with blacks, grays and purples, like a deep bruise. Something deep within her pulled her towards him, though she didn't know why.
Terra was still three rows of graves back when the man stood. His eyes, hazel, were shining with tears. Ashamed of herself for staring, Terra looked at the ground as he passed. “Sorry, excuse me, but...” she started, turning towards him. He glanced back at her.
“Yes?” His voice was deep, sexy, but full of sorrow and a weary apathy. For some reason, she longed to pull him, a perfect stranger, into a hug.
“I'm in the middle of a spell, looking for someone. Have you seen this necklace before?”
Pulling it out, there was an immediate reaction from the man. His handsome face contorted into surprise, and then anguish. A tear fell down his face, but he wiped it away quickly, trying to hide it. “Yes, I have. My mother used to have a necklace like that.”
“What is your name?”
“Lance. Fleaas.”
“Mine is Terra Neithercutt, and I'm-”
The man, irritated now, immediately bowed. His arm swung low, one knee touching the ground. She flushed red, waving her arms to get him to stop. “No! No, I shunned the royalty, you don't need to bow. And please don't call me by my titles. Just Terra will do.”
He stood, and she held out her hand to shake. After a brief hesitation, he took it, his grip firm. Terra's whole body was hot from his touch by the time he took his hand away.
“Do you want to see photos?” He asked. “My house, what's left of it, is only a short walk away.”
“Yes, please!”
Lance's home was a middle class home. The two on either side of it were perfectly manicured, with rosebushes and small herb gardens hanging from all of the windowsills. In the backyard of one, a child was swimming in a magically heated swimming pool. A small dog barked in the other, while an orange cat sitting in the window looked down on the two of them.
