Nature of the Witch

by Helen T. Norwood

  Bersaba began to scowl as she remembered, “They said that wasn't the true way and that we were meant for quiet lives. They also said times had changed and witches were no longer accepted in the world as they once were. My sisters were afraid of their powers and it dawned on me; they were all holding me back.”

  “So you set the Creatures on them?” Jack said disgusted. “On your own family? On an entire village?”

  “They didn't feel like family anymore,” Bersaba shrugged, “none of them had even half of my powers. Without other witches to hinder me I could finally show the world what witchcraft could really do. At first I considered sparing Kitto but he was just like the others. I set the Creatures on him. It was two against one and yet somehow he triumphed and killed one and caused the other to flee.”

  She chuckled slightly at the memory, “After that I decided to let him live. He was my husband after all. I jumped and he thought I was dead so there was no need to kill him.”

  “Then Kitto killed the last Creature,” Jack said, “not knowing that you were behind it all.”

  “Not quite,” Bersaba looked at Kiera, “Kitto never killed the last Creature. One of the spells that I'm particularly good at, even if I do say so myself, is implanting false memories and creating visions. Isn't that right Kiera?”

  Kiera thought bitterly to the memory Bersaba had shown her of Kitto's betrayal.

  “I'm sorry Kitto,” she whispered.

  “But it didn't work,” Jack was smirking at Bersaba, “you didn't change the world or become the greatest witch it had ever known. No-one has heard of you and you've spent your years, just like before, in hiding, pretending to be each generation of the same family.”

  Bersaba glared at Jack angrily.

  “She couldn't,” Kiera said as the realisation struck her, “without her coven she couldn't do any great magic. She was powerless.”

  “Not quite powerless,” Bersaba glowered, “but, yes, it hampered me somewhat. It wasn't so much that I was the only living witch, it was that I couldn't harness any of their power in their death, they weren't very forthcoming with it. Even in death they hindered me.”

  Jack looked at Kiera for an explanation.

  “When I was initiated and at other times, I could see and feel the other witches,” Kiera told him, “the witches that had gone before me, they gave me power and strength. All witches are connected. I'm guessing that, after what Bersaba had done, they weren't too keen on supporting her powers.”

  “All those years and I never realised they were actually useful to me,” Bersaba laughed bitterly, “I thought I'd be better off without any other witches but it turns out I needed them after all. I didn't lose my powers, but all I seemed able to manage was the odd party trick. That is, until you arrived Kiera.”

  “What do you want with me?” Kiera asked fearfully.

  “I just want us to do magic together sister,” Bersaba said and she smiled at Kiera kindly, but the face that Kiera had once considered beautiful now seemed ugly and evil, “that's all I've wanted for years. It was a mistake killing the other witches but now there are two of us. We can do great things together.”

  Kiera was shaking her head, “I trusted you, and all you've done is lie to me. You made me love a person who wasn't real. I thought you were dead and I blamed Kitto because of the lies you told me.”

  “No-one else understands you but me Kiera,” Bersaba said more forcefully, “we are the only witches in the whole world. You need me. I can teach you magic you have never even dreamed of. I can even help you complete the spell to bring your dad back.”

  Kiera gasped, “You gave me that spell book so that I would see that spell! And the book with the Grim Seed in, that you got me for Christmas, you were setting me up to lose my soul!”

  “Souls are overrated anyhow. And it would have made you much more amenable to my offer,” Bersaba looked at Kiera imploringly, “how about it sister? Let me show you how real magic is done.”

  Kiera shook her head adamantly, “No and don't call me sister. We are not sisters.”

  Bersaba tutted in disappointment before smiling sweetly, which was actually even more unnerving, “Technically I don't need you to agree right now, I'm sure you'll come around eventually. After all, we have an eternity together.”

  Kiera felt Kitto move and when she looked down he was staring up at Bersaba, his eyes were full of her betrayal. He pushed himself shakily into a seating position. Kiera grasped his arm and kissed his cheek, “I'm so sorry I doubted you.”

  Kitto raised a hand and wiped a tear from her face, “It's okay. I've also fell for her lies, she fooled us all.”

  He looked up into the eyes of the woman he had loved with all his heart and shook his head, overwhelmed with sadness, “What happened to you? What happened to the little girl with golden hair that tended to sick animals in her parents hut?”

  Bersaba rolled her eyes, “That little girl has been dead for an awfully long time. You just never saw it. Love is blind I guess.”

  She stepped forward and held out a hand to Kiera, “Come, it's time you came with me.”

  Jack jumped to his feet and stood between them, “Not a chance. I'll never let you take her.”

  “I don't need your permission Jack,” Bersaba said, her voice heavy with pity.

  “You killed my parents,” Jack's voice was barely audible, “you set the Creature on my mum.”

  Bersaba nodded, “I must admit I didn't completely think it through. When I found out you were destined to be Gwithiaz I knew I needed to be rid of you. However, the crash didn't kill you and then once those two cars arrived on the scene it became too complicated. Killing anybody else would've raised suspicion. I even had to use magic to conceal some of your mother's injuries. So all in all it was a failure. Soon after that the council found out your destiny, and with Kitto around any action against you might have alerted people to my presence. I had to let you live,” she smiled a wicked smile, “I'm glad I'll finally get the chance to remedy that.”

  When Jack spoke his voice was low and sinister, “I'm going to kill you.”

  She swiped her hand and Jack was picked up and thrown across the room. He crashed into the rock wall and landed with a thud.

  “Jack!” Kiera and Kitto both cried out.

  Before Kitto could move Bersaba swiped her hand again and Kitto was thrown in Jack's direction. Kiera tried to use her magic to stop her but Kitto hit the wall and landed at Jack's feet.

  “Stop!” Screamed Kiera. “Don't hurt them.”

  “They have to die,” Bersaba told her patiently.

  “No please,” Kiera knew that Bersaba's powers were greater than her own. She would have no trouble using them to kill Jack and Kitto. She couldn't let that happen and there was only one thing she could think of to stop her, “I'll do what you ask. I'll come with you and we'll do magic together. Just let them live.”

  Bersaba turned to her. She looked amused, “That's tempting. After all, I would prefer you to be willing. But sadly, there is no way I can let them live. If I did they would never stop coming after me, and Jack would never stop looking for you. They have to die.”

  Jack rolled on to his side and began to look for a weapon.

  “However, I have no intention of killing them myself,” Bersaba continued and she turned back to Jack, “I've already promised that pleasure to someone else. And he's waited so patiently too. Of course, he prefers witches blood but, since I control him, he'll have to make do with yours.”

  Bersaba gripped Kiera's shoulder and pulled her away to the other side of the cave. Jack's head was spinning as he looked up and let his eyes focus. At the far end of the cave the shadows started to move. What he thought was just a rock began to unfurl and step forward. It wore a long, dark hooded cloak and, at first, it looked like a man as it rose up on to two legs. But then it continued to rise and the cloak fell away. Jack's breath caught in his throat and all he could hear was Kiera screaming.

  Chapter Thirty Four
<
br />   The first thing Jack noticed were the eyes; a large pair of deep, red eyes set in a dark face like two, burning balls of flame. They stared at him, penetrating through the dusky atmosphere of the cave. Jack wondered how many people had stared into those red eyes as they died. The Creature must have been over twelve feet tall. Its strong hind legs carried its weight with ease as it stepped slowly forward, jagged teeth glistened in the dim light. The teeth jutted out from a wide mouth and it licked its lips hungrily as it eyed Jack.

  Its skin was mostly smooth and black, but every so often there was a glimpse of patchy fur and Jack wondered fleetingly whether it was part dog. Scars were visible, white streaks across the black, showing old battle wounds.

  It took a step closer, its eyes never leaving Jack. Jack could see the power in the Creature's body, muscles rippling beneath its skin as it moved. The excitement in its eyes was clear as it readied itself for the kill.

  Jack looked around for his staff. He had dropped it when Bersaba had thrown him. He knew he would never reach it before the Creature reached him. He poised himself and slowly began to move his hand into his pocket for his gun.

  The Creature bent forward until it was on all fours. Its size was still evident, the length of its body taking up most of the cave wall.

  There was a pause; the quiet before the storm. In that moment Jack stilled his breath. He had to kill the Creature. Then he would kill Bersaba. He had to protect Kiera.

  Jack moved his hand further into his pocket and the Creature pounced. It pushed off from the ground and sprang forward, the power behind the leap meaning it cleared most of the gap between it and its prey. It was quick, but Jack was quick too. In a split second Jack had the gun in his hand and let out two shots. They hit their mark exactly where he intended, but to his horror it didn't even slow the Creature down.

  He needed his staff. Kitto had said it was the only thing that could kill the Creature. At the last moment he rolled away, dropping his gun. He escaped its snapping jaws by centimetres. He scrambled across the floor towards his staff when suddenly it was whipped away from him. It flew through the air and into Bersaba's hand.

  She smiled at him cruelly and shook her head.

  Kiera turned to her angrily. Two could play that game. She raised her hand to rip the staff from Bersaba's grip when suddenly she fell to the floor. She felt paralysed, as though her body was bound in invisible restraints.

  Bersaba was looking down at her, “I'm afraid not Kiera. It'll be over soon and then we'll have a new life together. You'll forgive me all this, you'll see. You'll come to realise that we need each other.”

  Kiera tried to answer but even her mouth wouldn't move. All she could do was lie motionless and stare in horror as the Creature advanced on Jack, its red eyes hungry for blood.

  Jack tried to think fast. There was no way he could defeat the Creature with his bare hands. He pulled himself across the floor as the Creature stalked towards him. He felt the wall behind him and knew he was cornered. The Creature was only a couple of feet away. Jack could feel the heat from its sour breath and see the stains on its teeth.

  He looked past the Creature and saw Kitto moving shakily to his feet.

  Kitto, what do I do without my staff? He thought desperately.

  Then the Creature lunged forward for the kill. It omitted a deep growl, its mouth wide and Jack quickly lashed out with the only thing he had. The Creature leapt backwards in pain and Jack saw blood seep from the side of its face.

  Thanks Kiera, he looked down at the knife she had given him at Christmas. He had carried it with him ever since.

  Whilst the Creature was wounded he jumped to his feet and sprinted over to a large boulder. His mind was racing. He couldn't fend it off with the knife forever, and he couldn't escape it.

  The Creature was snarling angrily as it faced Jack. With only the rock between them they began to move around it.

  “You're not exactly fighting fair,” Jack said breathing heavily, “you should let me have my staff.”

  There was a twinkle in the red eyes, as though it understood what Jack was saying. Its hideous mouth curled slightly. It looked part canine but Jack wondered if it was part human too.

  It's enjoying this, Jack thought grimly, it's just playing with me. It knows I can't win without my staff.

  Suddenly the Creature reared up and placed its huge paws on top of the boulder. It eyed Jack greedily for a moment and then hurled itself forward. Jack stabbed with his knife but the Creature was ready. It shifted out the way and then hit Jack with the full force of its body. It sent him crashing to the ground and he landed hard on his side, winded and gasping for breath. The Creature wasted no time and leapt on top of him. Its front paws pinned him to the ground as its mouth loomed in, the saliva dripping on to Jacks face.

  Jack gazed into red, bloodthirsty eyes. It was over. He didn't feel fear, not for himself anyway. He only feared what would happen to Kiera. He had failed to protect her.

  And then the jaws closed down on him.

  Jack braced himself but the pain didn't come. The Creature was being forced away. Kitto was holding on to the Creature's jaws and wrenching them clear of him. For just a moment Kitto and the Creature wrestled, the Creature writhing to free its mouth from Kitto's grip. Then the Creature was free, it toppled Kitto backwards and before Jack could do anything the Creature had ripped at Kitto's throat.

  Kiera screamed at the sight; she screamed for Kitto as the blood poured and she screamed for Jack because she was powerless to help him, except her screams wouldn't come out. They only echoed around her head. She couldn't move, she couldn't even cry, all she could do was watch her friends be slaughtered.

  Kitto let out a rasping sound and his body flailed momentarily and then was still. Kiera felt Kitto's loss strike at her like a knife wound. He had been betrayed by his wife, he had seen his family and friends die, he had seen Kiera turn on him and accuse him of terrible things, and yet he had remained steadfast and loyal to his beliefs, and he had taken care of Kiera and Jack as though they were his own children.

  She saw the look of disbelief on Jack's face as the Creature reared up from Kitto's lifeless body. She knew she would have to watch Jack die next. She couldn't bear it. With absolute clarity she knew that she loved Jack, and would never get to tell him. She looked up at Bersaba. Bersaba was watching emotionlessly as the blood drained from the man she had once loved, a man who had loved and protected her for hundreds of years. What chance did Kiera have in the face of such evil? Bersaba was the greatest witch to have ever lived. It was hopeless.

  Then a thought struck her. There was something she had that Bersaba didn't. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her mind. She channelled the anger and hatred she felt for Bersaba and turned it into energy inside her, she felt her magic bubbling in her veins.

  Sisters, please help me. I know what she did to you. Give me power and help me to destroy her. Help me to save Jack.

  Almost instantly faces were looming in her peripheral vision. Voices danced around her head.

  “Sister,” they whispered.

  And the power coursed through her, so strong that she couldn't contain it and it burst out of her in an explosion of light. Whatever magical restraints Bersaba had used were destroyed, and as soon as Kiera could move she flicked her hand.

  “Jack!” She cried as she pulled the staff from Bersaba's grip and sent it flying through the air to Jack's hand.

  It reached Jack just as the Creature made for his throat. Jack didn't have time to process what had happened to Kitto; he swung his staff and it connected with the beast's shoulder.

  It looked as though it should have had no effect. Bullets hadn't worked and so surely a piece of wood would do nothing. But Jack felt the damage being done as he struck. He felt the wood shattering through bone. It knocked the Creature to the ground. It jumped straight back up again, but its eyes were suddenly wary and it limped slightly on its damaged shoulder.

  Jack stood tall. There was n
o need for him to try and run now. This was an even fight. And if there was one thing he knew it was his staff. He had trained with it for the last twenty years. He flipped it comfortably in his hand and readied himself.

  He knew the Creature could understand him so he narrowed his eyes, “You'll pay for what you've done.”

  The Creature licked his lips and then lunged.

  Confusion flittered briefly across Bersaba's features before quickly turning to anger.

  “I really must stop underestimating you Kiera,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “You killed Kitto,” Kiera hissed at her, “I will never help you and I won't let you kill Jack.”

  “But you already help me,” Bersaba said as though she was speaking to a child, “you help me just by being alive. I can draw on your energy. You brought magic back to the world. Thanks to you I am strong again.”

  Kiera shook her head.

  “Stop fighting me Kiera,” Bersaba said impatiently, “can't you see we are connected? You could never escape me. We give each other strength. Think of the things we could do if we joined forces.”

  “Never.”

  Bersaba glared at her, “Let's do it the hard way then shall we?”

  Bersaba swiped her hand and Kiera felt herself lift off the ground and fly through the air. She hit the rock wall andwheezed and gasped and tried to gather her senses. She rolled over to see Jack battling with the Creature; a whir of spinning and crashing and snarling. They looked as though they were locked in some sort of deadly dance, neither able to get the upper hand.

  She wanted to help but she had her own problems as she became aware of Bersaba striding towards her. Kiera pushed herself up, wincing as she did so. Bersaba flicked her hand again, but this time Kiera blocked her and she felt the spell bounce away.

  She tried to climb to her feet but the pain in her ribs brought her back to her knees. She needed a moment and she raised her hand, moving it swiftly in a circular motion. A wall of flames shot up and encircled her. It blocked out Bersaba so that, for a moment, Kiera was safe. She took some deep breaths.