Uniquely Unwelcome (The Shadow World)

by Brandy Nacole

  Everyone sits in silence for a moment. I am at a loss for words again. What do you say after hearing something like that? “Oh, well at least she isn’t in pain anymore,” or “That’s too bad.”

  There are things I want to know, though. Like what was her body being bound too? What did the Witch look like? Did they see her or was there just Cate’s explanation? Eldrida continues before I can voice my questions.

  “After Cate was able to get her message across, she was able to pass on to the next plane. Her spirit is at peace now. Unfortunately that is all the information we have.”

  I inch closer to the edge of the couch. “Were you able to see the Witch that did that to her?”

  Eldrida just shakes her head. “It does not work like that, dear. We are only able to feel and listen.”

  “Did she describe what this Witch looked like?” Maybe is we were able to identify this Witch, we could track her or at least find out what this Witch is capable of. Although I’m sure the Elders have already thought of that.

  Eldrida shakes her head, “I’m afraid not dear. I’m afraid this is all the information that we hold.”

  I nod in understanding. Then an idea hits me. Maybe that’s not all they know. “Do you happen to know where the disappearances took place?”

  Laveda answers, “Of course. What kind of leaders would we be if we did not know such information about our people?”

  She takes a moment before continuing. I was going to reply but apparently her question was rhetorical.

  “Cate was taken in Oregon. Quentin was taken in Sweden. Imia was taken in Chile. Caden was taken in Libya. And Addie was taken in New York State.”

  Okay, that’s a broad span. I fumble around in my bag for a piece of paper and pen. After finding what I need, I have Laveda repeat the information for me.

  “This is a good start I believe. Thank you for all your time.” I say not sure how to leave properly but ready to do so.

  “Just a moment dear,” Eldrida says, “Danika will be going with you on your travels. I am sure you have a long journey a head of you and she will be of great help.”

  I glance over at Danika. She has no reaction to this news. Either she already knew or will do whatever the Elders say with no question or argument. But I will, “There is no need for that, really.”

  “This is not a journey to be taken lightly or alone. We have discussed this matter with her and she is eager to help. We need answers to not only find those who have been took from us but to stop those responsible to keep others safe.”

  I wonder if they ran this by Danika’s mother. When I left Virginia, she was filled with worry for her daughter. I bet she wouldn’t be too happy to know that her daughter is being put in harm’s way.

  Hanalei speaks up, “We also have provided you with one of the Covens’ private jets,” Witches have private jets? Sweet!

  “There is no need for that either, seriously!” Although that would be great, I just feel like it’s too much.

  “My child, you must take the help that is given to you along the way. Not everyone is as generous as you will see. You may receive some help but there will be those that will not answer your questions without repercussion.”

  I‘m ready to protest again but stop myself knowing I need to take this opportunity like Eldrida said. It could be a long trip and this would be a lot easier than trying to make travel plans in the mundane world.

  “Okay. Well thank you, it will be very helpful. I have been worried about funds and other problems we might encounter.”

  Eldrida then rises and comes to sit beside me. My body tenses at not knowing what’s coming or what she might do. What if she hugs me? What if she puts a hex on me? I am totally freaking here and I soon realize as I get dizzy that I am holding my breath. I can sense her overwhelming power and authority.

  She sits down and extends her hand. “May I see your amulet?”

  My what? I have no idea what the woman is talking about. I really should have read Wicca for Dummies or something last night.

  “Your necklace, dear.” I look down at the crystal Dagna had given to me. Before I left, she had slipped the crystal into a wire brace that hung from a leather rope. I unclasp it and hand it to Eldrida.

  “I see that this has been charged with energy and wisdom. Do you mind if we intensify the necklace’s charm?” Eldrida rises and walks back over to the other Elders.

  I shake my head and watch as the four Elders join hands with my necklace floating, yes floating, in front of them. They say some gobbledygook that I don’t understand at all. My crystal lights up with a bright blue glow. It continues its glow and starts floating toward me.

  I want to run screaming from the room. This is not my everyday experience and I am totally flipping. The crystal gets closer and closer. I just sit there stiff as a board as it approaches. Then the necklace opens and goes around my neck. Are they going to choke me? Then the crystal settles on my chest and the glow dims.

  I feel power course from the necklace and into my body. My fear is replaced with strength and determination. The energy of the necklace makes me feel like I, too, am glowing with power. I hope this power stays strong.

  “Hopefully that will help you as well,” Eldrida says.

  “It already is. Thank you. I have never felt so strong.”

  I pick the crystal up in my palm to examine it. It still looks the same but I can feel an energy coursing from the crystal to me that’s sizzling. I place the crystal cautiously back down against my chest.

  I stand to leave but once again I’m stopped before taking a step. This time it is Witten who stops me. “What type of power do you obtain?”

  Here we go. I knew it; I knew I could not get away without being interrogated. I was really hoping my abilities and self being wouldn’t be questioned. I wonder if they’re going to want hair and blood samples too.

  “Why? What does that matter?” I hate being hateful after so much generosity but I have to be cautious. After the past I’ve had, caution is wise.

  Witten shrugs his shoulder and folds his hands in his lap. “Just curious.” For someone who didn’t seem interested in our previous conversation, he sure is full of questions and banter now.

  “It is more than that dear,” Eldrida says, “we just want to know what you have learned about yourself. How is anyone to know who you are if you do not know yourself?”

  Okay, true! But what does that have to do with what power I obtain? “I’ll admit. I do not know much about myself.”

  “What are your Vampire powers?”

  “I have great strength.”

  “Do you have to obtain blood?”

  “A little. Sometimes.”

  “What about your-?” I know that Witten is just going to keep asking questions, so I interrupt him to speed up this process.

  “Okay look, I can hear really well, see in the dark, have to obtain blood sometimes, can move objects with my mind, shift into an eagle, and hold things in place.”

  “So you don’t know your full potential? You know nothing of each individual power? These are things you must learn. You will never understand yourself until you do, neither will anyone else.”

  My banter didn’t shut Eldrida up and Witten looks like he wants to ask more. “No I do not.”

  “When this journey is over you must start a new journey, a journey for you.” Eldrida stands and comes over to me. She cups my face in her hands.

  She looks me straight in the eye and says, “You are precious child and your being lost has caused much confusion not only in yourself but in others as well. You are unique but what makes you unique is not only the blood that courses through your body but what you do with that power in your blood will say everything. Your actions now, seeking those that have struck against you all these years, are remarkable. You will be great and we will be here to help you seek what you need to know.”

  Wow. I don’t think I have ever had to fight back tears this hard in my life. My eyes are stinging from
the dam that wants to break. I look down at my feet not trusting my eyes or my voice.

  Eldrida takes my chin and raises my face so she can look at me once more. She gives me a small smile and then releases me, retaking her seat.

  Danika steps toward the door and says, “Blessed be,” before stepping out. What does that mean? Am I supposed to say the same? I keep walking to the door but as I’m about to walk out the door, in unison the Elders say “Blessed be.” I turn and mumble the same and head out the door as fast as possible.

  Once outside, I take a deep breath. Danika is waiting for me at the foot of the steps. “Where to next?”

  While lying in bed last night, I had contemplated our next move. I only knew of one other original colony, the Vampire lair. The one I dreaded visiting the most.

  “Sofia, Bulgaria.”

  “I will call the pilot and let him know. Now go pack, we leave in an hour. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” Danika turns and quickly walks toward the dorms.

  I follow behind her robotically. Eldrida’s words are echoing in my mind. Maybe she was right. Maybe everyone has been afraid of me because I’m afraid of myself. How could I expect everyone to understand and accept me when I didn’t even do it myself?

  Just like Dagna said, when people are afraid they do stupid things. Maybe if I had understood myself and accepted myself, then maybe I could have let others in and explained who and what I was. Then maybe they wouldn’t have been afraid. That could have saved me a lot of pain and others a lot of fear.

  It’s a possibility, one that I still doubt.

  Chapter Seven

  When I enter the dorms I find Ethan sitting in a lounge chair, reading a book. Interesting, I never thought of him as the reading type. He flips the book over, trying to hide the title as he mumbles, “Hey.” Unfortunately for him I saw the title before he hid it. I wonder why Ethan boy has a sudden interest in Wicca.

  “Hi.” I say uncomfortably. Catching Ethan reading the Wicca book was like catching a teenager with a porn magazine. The hiding, the embarrassed body lingo, all that goes with a moment like that has just now happened here.

  Looking at him as he shyly looks at the floor, I start laughing. I’ve never seen Ethan look like this, it’s too funny. Ethan cut his eyes up at me and then rolled them. “Shut up Racquel.” I just kept laughing as he put the book in his bag.

  “So, did you find out anything?” He stands up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, as I calm myself.

  “Yeah, did you?” I cross my arms smiling at him.

  Ethan just shakes his head as he nervously messes with the straps on his bag. I decide to let the whole book thing go. “Why didn’t you go.”

  “Didn’t feel like it.” Ethan runs his hand through his hair, shrugging his shoulder.

  “What if I had forgotten to ask some important question? Or misread the whole conversation?” I ask, noticing a girl stopping in front of the door. With a glance at us, she turns and walks the other way.

  “Well, I’m sure you didn’t.” Ethan says as he watches the girl high tail it across the grounds.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  “So, what were they able to tell you?” Ethan finally looks at me, curious now.

  “Not much, although they did tell me about the first Witch, Cate, visiting them before she moved on to another plane.” A shudder runs over me as I think about what the Elders told me about Cate.

  “What did she have to say?” Ethan asks.

  I uncross my arms and walk a few paces past Ethan, trying to ease the tension in my body. The whole morning has left me on edge.

  “I’ll tell you later. Right now we need to get packed. We’re leaving in an hour.” I head to my room to pack. Ethan’s right behind me to do the same.

  “Okay, I’ll be ready in five.” Ethan doesn’t even ask where we are going. He’s just going along with whatever. I like that. I hate people needing to know every bit of information when they know they’re going to do whatever anyway. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be here now. He knew before we left that we were going to be visiting all the councils. So he probably figures we are on to the next council. Which one? Doesn’t matter.

  After packing and getting to the parking lot, I pause before approaching Ethan and Danika. I’m starting to think that Ethan has a crush on Danika. At first I tried shrugging it off as friendliness but this is something more.

  He’s helping Danika put her bags into the car. After shutting the trunk, they both lean against the car to talk, although Ethan looks a little more interested in Danika than the conversation. Danika is leaning her back against the car, talking. Ethan’s also leaning on the car but he’s also leaning in toward her. His smile reaches his eyes as they laugh about something Danika says.

  Ethans’ hands are deep in his pockets like he’s nervous. I’m beginning to have a better understanding of why he was reading that Wicca book. In school we learned the basics of the Shadow World in a class that the humans did not take. All the classes were mingled with the humans except for this one.

  I remember watching everyone walk pass my lonely classroom, including Ethan and Danika. I never noticed anything between them before but I hardly did see anyone. I was isolated from everyone, especially the humans. That’s what eventually drove me to quit and travel the world.

  Now what do I do? Should I interrupt this moment or give them a little longer? I glance at my watch. I’m already running late so I’m guessing the moment is over.

  I walk straight ahead but look everywhere but at them. I glance from side to side, to my feet, and back to the side. I so don’t know how to handle situations like this or apparently experience them myself.

  “Ready?” Danika asks. Ethan fumbles back several steps almost tripping over his own feet, which is unusual for Lycans. I guess you could say I caught him in another awkward moment. He probably hates me right now, more so than usual.

  “Yep, I guess I’ll follow.” I start walking toward my car, fumbling in my backpack for the keys.

  “No, we’re all riding together. Don’t worry your car will be safe here with the Coven. It’s just more convenient if we take one car.”

  That does make more sense but if I took my own car it would give them some more alone time, although relationship building isn’t why we are here.

  “Yeah, okay.”

  I walk over to my car, checking to make sure there’s nothing I need. I take a quick look in the trunk. I guess I won’t need all the camping gear I brought. I put some of the smaller weapons in my backpack wishing I could take more. Once satisfied there’s nothing I have forgotten, I pick up my bags and walk back to Danika’s car.

  After putting my bags in the trunk of Danika’s car, I go to get in the back. Ethan protests, “I’ll ride in the back.” Before I can object, he’s in the back with the door closed. Oh-kay.

  We’re about fifteen miles away from the Covenant and I start thinking about last night. The way the moon, waves, and wind made me feel calm and absolutely peaceful. It was such a wonderful moment.

  I wish I could go back to that moment and freeze time. Wishing Addie was there beside me. I would be there visiting her instead of trying to find her. We could sit over the cliffs, laughing and talking like we always did.

  I sit there imaging and wishing this was true for a long time. Then I remember how hard it was for me to get out of my room. The window seeming sealed, the only exit through the front door.

  “Hey, why are the windows sealed shut? Isn’t that a little dangerous?” I ask Danika.

  Danika scrunches her eyebrows, “What do you mean? The windows aren’t sealed.”

  “Well, last night I tried going through my window but it wouldn’t open. I had to go back through the main exit.”

  “Oh that,” Danika says with a smile, “that’s just a little bit more magic. The curfew is midnight and a magic seal locks all the windows. That way the students have to go out through the main door.”

  “Yeah but w
hat if there’s a fire or something. Doesn’t that seem a little dangerous?” I couldn’t even imagine all those students filing out the front door while the building was burning down.

  “The seal will break if the students are in danger. They’ve been tested several times to insure that.” Danika glances in her review mirror, maybe trying to see Ethan’s reaction. I wonder if her feelings for him are mutual. Has she been secretly reading Doggy 101 to understand more about him?

  “Wow. It seems like magic can do anything.” I say in awe. The things I’ve learned in the last twelve hours or so have left me in wonder. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what else there is to learn. Not to mention how to use it.

  “Not anything.” Danika mumbles looking grim now. I wonder if that grimace is directed to something or someone specific.

  The conversation turns silent. I want to pursue the ‘not anything’ comment but don’t. I know I don’t like being questioned about things I don’t want to talk about. I’m sure others are the same way.

  After a long drive, we finally arrive at the airport. Danika goes through the security only gate taking us straight to the plane. I start to question this but decide to just follow Danika’s lead. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing and wouldn’t draw unnecessary attention.

  We get our luggage out of the trunk and board the plane. My mouth drops once I get on the plane. I grew up in a modest, knick knack filled house. I didn’t live in filth until I traveled alone. During those times, I stayed anywhere I could find shelter, which sometimes resorted to hay barns or caves. Never had I experienced this kind of clean cut luxury.

  Instead of standard plane seats, there are four suede stuffed chairs centered in the cabin. Along the walls there are long couches, which Danika informs me pull out into beds. The overhead cabinets are made of beautiful mahogany wood. There’s a flat screen TV hanging on the front wall.

  We store our luggage and soon the plane is airborne. The captain soon gives the all clear to move around the cabin. Danika and Ethan get up at the same time, blocking each other’s path. They do a small aisle dance before Ethan steps aside and gestures for Danika to pass. Blushing, she tucks her hair behind her ear as she says thanks. She then disappears up front with the pilot. Shaking my head, I get out my iPod and settle in with a book.