by Wilson, Rena
I look into the cauldron and begin to chant, “Speak to me, thee who are still. Speak to me, thee who’s will mote be. Speak to me, thee who should rise. Speak to me, thee Ancients who should be.”
The drafty room drops at least ten degrees as I continue, “I mote it be, I mote it be, I mote it be. Thrice blessed thy humble servant.”
“Ahh, Sammy, dearest,” Weynard’s voice is smooth with a hiss that makes my stomach crawl. I hate being called Sammy, but there was no way in hell I would correct him.
I drop to my knees head bowed, “My Lord.”
“Do you have what is needed?”
I slightly shake my head, “No, My Lord, but we are close. My minion will soon have the location of the necessary tome. We are only short three items from the list you provided. Those will be easily acquired through a contact of mine on the black market.”
The astral projection of Weynard moves closer to me. “Rise and remove your hood.”
I do as bidden. “So beautiful, auburn hair, emerald green eyes, so like your mother. Do not disappoint me as she did. You are the last of your line, the last hope to avenge those who ensnared their betters.”
“I vow on my life that I will see you in flesh and blood form before I die, My Lord. I am and forever will be your servant.”
“Good girl,” his hand pats my cheek. His touch is cold, even in this form. “The next time you call on me, it better be with you having everything together to do the spell to find us.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Til then,” his voice hisses as his form disappears. The room’s temperature rises to normal, but my heartbeat does not still for several more minutes. Talking to Weynard this way always takes its toll on me both physically and emotionally.
“I will fulfill my family’s legacy,” I whisper as I clean up the remnants of the spell.
My mother and father where the last of two families that followed in the way of the Priests of Weynard. They never really loved one another, but they did their duty to produce me, a powerful blend of the two families. My whole life the mission was engrained into me and I will make sure that I see it fulfilled.
As I exit my work room into the back room of my herb shop, I hear a movement. “Samara, I have news.”
Martin is my minion. As part of the coven, he helps me know what is going on without my presence being known. “Did you find out what the schedule of movement is?”
“I did,” Martin nods enthusiastically. “Two days from now, at noon it will move from the Coven headquarters to Henrietta’s.”
“Well, we cannot let it make it to its destination,” I smile. “My dear friend, do you know the route?”
Martin, his poor soul, nods, “Of course Samara, I could do nothing else for you. They will take the city route.”
Spelling a man infatuated with you shouldn’t be so easy, but with Martin’s weak mind it was too easy. My mother would be so proud of me. “Well done, love, meet me back here at eleven o’clock in two days time.” I say as I move closer to Martin. He was quite a bit older than me, plump and balding. By me showing him additional attention, the spell wraps tighter around him. I cup his face, “Thank you. With that tome we will be able to break those free who were so violently taken from this world.”
Martin smiles, “You know I would do anything for you, Samara.”
“Oh I know. See you in two days.” I say this as I lean in to whisper in his ear, “Tell no one of us, of us tell none, be my sight, but not my voice.”
I lean back and smile at Martin, “Remember eleven.”
“I will be here.”
Charles
“Damn, rusty old piece of shit!” I kick the piece of machinery I was working on all day to no avail. Fred, my black pit bull, just cocked his head with his tongue lolled out to the side looking as silly as always. So much for a guard dog. The door to my shop dings indicating a customer. It was late. I must have forgot to lock it. “We are closed,” I yell as I throw my rag onto the machine.
“Not for me I hope,” a beautiful red haired woman said with a velvety voice.
One look at her and I know she is dangerous, “I didn’t stutter, lass. I only forgot to lock the door. Now be gone with you.”
“Oh Charles,” she smiles, “It is Charles isn’t it?”
“That is me, but I ain’t interested lady.”
“Well Charles, I think you could be if you just listen. I have a proposition for you.”
“Look lady my dealings with your breed are done,” I shake my head. “One too many witches got me into trouble especially pretty red heads like yourself. I may be a dwarf, but I ain’t dumb.”
I watched as the pretty lady’s eyes begin to glow. I hear Fred whimper in the background as he scampers into the back room. “Now, you look here, dwarf. I came along way to get the items I require. You will help.”
“No, means no, lady.”
“I am afraid you have no choice in the matter, dwarf,” she smiles a smile that is anything but pleasant. “I am calling in a life debt you owe my family. You will honor it or your Gods will strike you down. My name is Samara de Moray.”
I feel my face pale. “de Moray? But that is impossible! That line died out a century ago.”
“Do you want to risk it? I promise you my ancestor was Jaqueline de Moray who saved you from execution in 1890. You did not actually think you escaped your fate, did you?”
I know I am stuck. Jaqueline saved me from death which means I am in her debt. She died prior to being able to collect which left the debt to be collected by her family. I sigh, “I still want proof.”
“I believe you know what this is,” she smirks at me knowing I am going to help her. She lays in front of me the necklace Jaqueline and I spelled for the debt.
Why is this happening now? I finally have a decent shop. I haven’t even done anything illegal in twenty years. Guess that is about to change. “What do you want?”
“So glad we finally have any understanding. I need three items. You acquire these items in the next two days and your debt is paid,” she says as she hands me the list.
“A Flint Knife from the Naqada period, a flail symbol of power from the God Osiris, and Osiris’ onyx amulet. How the hell am I supposed to get these?! Most of these are locked away and the ones on the black market would cost millions.” This is not good.
Samara simply shrugs her shoulders, “I don’t care where you get them from my dear Charles. I am sure a very experienced dwarf of your reputation will have no problems. I will be here in two days time at sunset to retrieve my items and release you from your life debt.”
Up until this point she stayed a few feet from me, however as she spoke she glided towards me cupping my chin caressing my cheek with a long black painted nail. “Two days, dwarf.” With that she jerked away, making her way to the door.
Finally she was gone. When the bell over the door finished ringing, I see Fred come through the back door and he makes his way to my side. With my shortened dwarf size, I am only a foot and half taller than him. “Don’t worry, boy I don’t blame you from leaving. What the hell are we going to do?”
Samara
The day was here that my life’s work would finally start to be productive. “Perfect timing, Martin. Any changes?”
Martin shakes his head making his comb over flip over. As he quickly fixes it, “No, Samara, the tome will be yours soon.”
I should have made a minion years ago. They are so very handy. “Excellent. Do you know which members of the coven will move the tome?”
“Martha and Hope. Samara, they are both very strong are we sure this is the best way?”
I swiftly move closer to him forcing him to meet my eyes, “You doubt me!” I allow my power to circle him. “I am more powerful than they all are, it would be best if you do not forget yourself, minion.”
I watch as Martin falls to his knees, head bowed, as he wraps his arms around my legs, “I am sorry, my Mistress, my Samara, you are right of course. Please
forgive your humble servant.”
I sigh inwardly, maybe a minion is too much work. Martin will have to go soon, but not yet I still need him. “Rise, Martin. Of course I forgive you, it just hurts that you doubt me.” I help him stand and embrace him in a hug offering him comfort and reinforcing the spell.
“I just could not forgive myself if anything happens to you, especially at the hands of my own mother,” Martin cries on my shoulder.
“You just let me handle Martha,” I coo. “Now let’s go or we will be late.”
After another few minutes making sure Martin wasn’t going to freak out on me and grabbing the potions I made to incapacitate the witches, we exit my herb shop cloaked in a spell making others not notice us. “See, no one even knows we are here.”
The coven and Henrietta’s were about ten miles apart with several backroads connecting them. I chose a place that would put the witches in the most vulnerable position. “Now, Martin we wait until they pass just by us, then I will hit them with a spell to take down their wards and cause them to become unconscious. You are going to be able to handle watching your mother go down, aren’t you love.”
“Yes, yes, but she will be okay, right?”
Killing Martha would not help my plans at this point so I would be able to appease his love for his mother. I am almost certain the spell would crack around Martin if Martha died. No now wasn’t the time. “I would not harm you mother, for you, you must know that.”
“I know you are a kind person who only wants to correct the wrongs of the past. Someday we will convince Mother that we are on the right side,” Martin smiles at me. I still my face to not show my disgust with him. Martha will die, along with the others in a matter of time.
“Maybe you are right. They should be here any moment.” I feel them coming rather than see them. They are good. The cloaking spell they have around them is really strong. “Martin when I say now, throw your potion directly north.”
“Now!” I yell and we watch the supposed leader of the mighty coven uncloak and fall unconscious behind the vehicles wheel.
“Wonderful!” I clap. “Just as planned.” I wait for the car to completely stop and open the door to smile down at Martha. “Martin where is the tome.”
I listen as he opens the trunk, “Here you go Samara. Just as I told you, can’t you feel the power radiating off of this?”
“Yes, well done. Now I need you to hurry home so no one is suspicious of your absences. The rest of the materials we need I will retrieve at sunset. It will take a few days to break into the tome. I will contact you when I need you again.”
“Whatever you need, Samara,” Martin takes my hand to press a small kiss. “Very exciting! I will see you soon love.”
I wait for him to disappear then rub my hand against my jeans, “Yuck!” I stare at the vehicle for a few more minutes impressed with myself. “Soon you coven bitches will be no more and the true leaders of the paranormal world will be here.” I feel the smile on face broaden as I take off to decipher the text that will take me one more step further.
Rian
I left the house without informing my sister where I was going. Last night, Grams came over after the coven meeting. If she noticed Kristoff’s scent she chose to ignore it or she was too distracted from the information discussed at the meeting. The Coven keeps several of the more powerful tomes behind a protected shield. They also move these tomes on a random basis so that even the coven members don’t always know where they are. They are only brought out for ceremonies. The problem is that during transport yesterday the witches were attacked and one of the tomes was taken. No one knows how someone found out, but the tome that was taken held the true Rites of Weynard ritual in it.
This information is very unsettling. What I told Kristoff the first time we met was true, the rites could be read by anyone, even a witch, but the components needed were never published. The rites are dark magic, which require blood sacrifice and an abundance of power.
I stroll up to Tiffany when I arrive. Her attitude towards me today seems to have done a 180. “Dr. Campbell so good to see you again. Alpha Jamieson asked me to give you a staff badge so that you do not have to check in every time you visit him as well as access to his private elevator.” She says this quickly exposing her neck in a sign of submission. The young wolf was admonished, I assume, by Kristoff. How did he know that Tiffany was rude to me?
The sign of submission confuses me. My wolf smiles inside of me knowing that she was more dominate that Tiffany even if I can’t shift into her form. “Thanks,” I grab the offered badge and then completely dismiss Tiffany.
The elevator ride is quiet this time. I can only detect three scents in this one, Kristoff’s, Michael’s, and a female I never met before. The scent of the female has my wolf agitated. Jealousy? No, that couldn’t be it. I barely knew Kristoff. I hadn’t thought that maybe he was in a relationship when we met. I shake myself free of those thoughts. “Think of the Ancients, solve the problem first,” I whisper to myself as I exit the elevator.
I make my way quickly to the same conference room as before. Before I left the house, I called Kristoff to ensure that only the most trusted Council members would be present. “Ah, Dr. Campbell please come in and be seated,” Michael, Kristoff’s Beta says.
Unlike last time, the conference room only holds four Council members instead of all fifteen. “Thanks,” I nod, “And please, call me Rian. No need for formalities.”
He nods as I sit. Kristoff is again at the head of the table. “Rian, let me introduce you to, Kevin Marks, my head of security.”
Kevin smiles brightly which I find odd as security people are usually very stoic. “Pleasure,” I reply.
“It is nice to finally meet the woman that has my Alpha in an uproar. Thank you for providing me with ample entertainment these last two weeks,” he states.
I couldn’t help but let a small smirk cross my face. Kristoff stares at Kevin, “Oh, shut up Kev. Across from Kevin, is Hunter Key, I am sure you have heard of him as he is the head of the North American Witches Coven.”
“Yes of course, I attended your Winter Solstice ball last year,” I say to him.
“I remember. Good to formally meet you, your Grams keeps you under lock and key,” the older man replies. “Do tell Henrietta I said hello.”
“I will.”
“Of course you know who Michael Quincy is, and last is Gretchen Islador, Hunter’s head priestesses.
The woman who was sitting across from me was very stunning, but did not present a friendly face my way. In fact it looked like she was trying to stare daggers into my eyes. I caught a whiff of her scent and notice that this was the scent from the elevator. I could feel her power like she was trying to show off. I thought I would return the favor and allow my full extent to show as well. As I started to release, I felt Hunter squeeze my knee under the table with a barely visible shake of his head. He was right, it would be a childish move, but my wolf didn’t like her and I sure as hell didn’t.
The standoff did not go unnoticed by all around. Kristoff cleared his throat, “Well okay. You called us all hear Rian, what updates do you have?”
My wolf wants to show Gretchen that we are more dominate. But I try to calm her down enough to get through this meeting. I make it a point to ignore the priestess as I begin looking only at Kristoff. “Before I start, how much do you truly know about the Ancients?”
Hunter scrunches his face a little, “I may be the Coven head, but a lot of the history has been tangled up with legends or stories to scare young ones to do the right thing.”
Kristoff nods, “That is the extent of my knowledge as well. I learned more from the documents you sent, but it was not all inclusive.”
“You are correct. I didn’t feel the need for a full history lesson because, to be quite honest, I wasn’t sure the threat was too great,” I sighed. “As you know my field of study is paranormal history. My doctoral thesis was actually about the Ancients.”
Gretchen took this moment to pip in, “Yes, we are acutely aware of your genius. Now tell us how to solve this problem so we can be done.”
I chose to be the bigger person and not tell her to shut up. “Most of the legends about the Ancients, are just that, legends. Back in the 13th century in the turmoil that was Europe, a great power emerged. All documents from before that time were lost or maybe the tales were only told by word of mouth. Whatever the case may be, that is the first time we have a recording of the group. They did not identify themselves to the paranormal community. They wanted to come out to the humans, but not in a good way. They wanted to dominate society. The Ancients were vampires and saw humans as only cattle to slate their lust.”
“I knew the legends said they were vampires, but I know plenty and for the vast majority they are not in the camp to come out to the humans,” Kristoff states.
“Yes that is true, but these were not just any vampires. From all the studying I have done on the topic it appears the Ancients get there name for a reason. They were the original vampires. The ones said to have been created by Anubis, the Egyptian God.”
“Do I really have to sit here and listen to this rubbish?” Gretchen rolled her eyes.
Hunter gave her a stern look, “Yes, you do.”
I wasn’t sure if I should thank Hunter or not as he said nothing to defend what she called rubbish. I continued despite the hard stare I received from Gretchen. “Whether they were really created by Anubis or not is up for debate, but they were extremely powerful and had many followers. Those followers were called the Priest of Weynard. Weynard being the most powerful of the Ancients. These Priests were witches who protected the Ancients when they slept for the day.”
“While they had many followers, there were those in the community that saw the bodies starting to pile up in the streets. These community members join together to rid the world of the Ancients. But as you all know, the witches’ creed to harm none, put them in a bind. They could not directly kill the Ancients, but looked for a way to put them in a permanent state of stasis.”
Kristoff interrupted, “So it was just witches?”
