The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga

by Taliesin Govannon

  “I'm not assuming anything until I get some more information.”

  “And how soon do you think it'll be until you get this information?”

  She smiled. “It should get here... soon.”

  We sat for a while in silence. We had taken to sitting together like that more and more, but it never felt awkward. Quite the opposite, actually.

  What was unusual was Angelique to break that silence, but today she did. “Have you remembered any other previous incarnations lately?” she asked.

  At one point, I had been remembering so many past incarnations with Vincent that it felt like I lived in the past half of the time. That had mellowed out lately, however... I felt like I had remembered almost all of them.

  “I still have past incarnations?” I asked, grinning.

  “Oh yes.” she said seriously. “You may have remembered all of the ones that you've shared as Vincent's lover or confidant, but you have more. Many, many more.”

  “Sounds exhausting.”

  “Your spirit, I'm afraid, has known little rest. Most of those destined to become the Sorceress are often restless spirits.”

  I knew that she spoke the truth, but it nagged at me. “Most of the restless spirits I've studied about had an unfinished task that drove them.” I said. “What do I have that's unfinished?”

  Angelique smiled. “That, my friend, is a story for another day.”

  * * *

  I looked at my drink... or, at least what had been my drink. Now it was more of a drink-sickle, the lemonade a solid chunk of light yellow ice inside of the glass.

  I looked across the room at Raina and smiled. She, on the other hand, balled her fists in frustration.

  “Damn damn damn damn damn!” she said, beating her fists against her thighs. “I thought I had it!”

  “It's okay, it really is.” I assured her. “You're doing, and mastering, more Fae magick than any human in a century. It's okay to have a learning curve for the advanced stuff.”

  “But it's not advanced to Rini,” she said, referring to the Fae who had been teaching her the ways of Fae magick. “She makes a couple of perfectly formed ice cubes appear in your drink.”

  Ever since we had spent some time in the Fae realm earlier in the year, Raina had been working on learning more and more Fae magick, even going as far as having a blue crystal used by the Fae to channel their mystical power implanted in her right palm. And she was impressive... to everyone but herself.

  “What did you tell me about tarot cards last week?” I asked. “You know, when I threw the cards down and said that I was never going to get them?”

  Raina sighed. She knew where this was going. “I told you that nobody's born knowing how to do this stuff, that we all learn.”

  “And that is different from this how?”

  She sighed again, but with a grin this time. "It's different in that it's easy to be all 'you can do it!' when encouraging another. It's another thing when you have to take your own advice." She plopped down on the sofa next to me and swung her legs up across my lap.

  “It's good advice.” I told her, absentmindedly rubbing her leg. “You should listen.”

  “You're annoying when you're right.” She slumped back against the overstuffed backing of the sofa. “You know, I never joined a coven because I was afraid of running into some strict, sourpuss old broad of a High Priestess who was never happy with anything I did. I never thought that I'd become that for myself!”

  "That's the mark of a good magickal practitioner, and a great teacher." I said. My voice almost seemed to echo in my head. "You're always harder on yourself than you are on others, and it is a great kindness you pay your students. You just need to gain the wisdom to know when to extend that charity to yourself."

  Raina just looked at me. “Okay, now that didn't sound like you. I mean, it sounded like something you could say, if we had that kind of background, but...”

  "I know what you're saying." I shook my head and felt a little more normal.

  Though I really don't have a firm grasp on what's 'normal' anymore!

  “Where did that come from?”

  I searched my memories but could find nothing in this incarnation or any in the past where these words sounded familiar. And yet, the words had the unmistakable feeling of a past-life memory. That meant that they must have come from a yet-undiscovered incarnation, possibly one of the lives that Angelique had just been speaking of.

  “Some past life.” I finally answered. “One I haven't explored yet.”

  “Should I go get Vincent or Angelique?” Raina made as if to get up.

  “No.” I said, placing both hands on her legs to stop her. “I don't know why, but... I don't think that either should be here for this one.”

  I had absolutely no reasons for this, and saying it surprised me. It seemed to surprise Raina as well, by the look on her face.

  “If you think so...” she said, a dubious tone in her voice. She stayed seated, however.

  I allowed my arms to hang slack at my sides, though my hands still rested on Raina's legs. I closed my eyes and took myself through the basic beginnings of a meditative trance. I was still inwardly amazed at how simple it all seemed now, after my earlier, rocky attempts. I guess Raina's words about patience are truer than I thought!

  I relaxed further and soon felt my mundane thoughts leave me as I reached a deeper level of trance. I soon started hearing the rushing sound that came when I was peering back in time.

  Okay spirits, show me where this all comes from!

  * * *

  “I will NEVER get this!”

  Cricket threw down the oak wand with more care than it looked. She knew very well just how difficult those were to make. The crafting might only take a day, but the charging was the real burden on one's time.

  I knew that she could do it, though. She had never failed at anything before, and I doubted one shield re-enforcement spell would be the thing to beat her.

  “Yes, you will.” I insisted gently. “You know the basic mechanics, you just have to get the size and scope.”

  “Well if I do,” she said with a pout, “it'll be because you're teaching me.” A slight grin cracked her soured visage. “You're the best.”

  I looked at her closely. So, it's true...

  It was an accepted practice to take some students... some especially gifted students... into our beds if that's what it took to get them past their self-imposed barriers. There were strict rules, however, and I was going to mind them resolutely, no matter how pleasing it would be to have her soft curves pressed against mine at night.

  I preferred it to what the other outcome of this kind of attraction could be, if it was forced to take a non-carnal route to expression. I had never borne children, and I didn't want to be anyone's Mother-figure!

  “Well, you're going to ruin my reputation as 'the best' if you give up this easily.” I said gently as I bent down and picked up the ornately carved wand. I handed it back to her. “Let's try this again.”

  Cricket smiled shyly, and I felt my heart flutter. Oh, this one could be trouble...

  * * *

  I was stoned.

  This was no bush-league buzz, but a serious, professional level, 'sew your ass to the furniture' mind-blowing high.

  And I wanted to get higher.

  I had told Raina about the past-life vision I'd had... well, part of it. I'd told her about her being my student, and just how highly I'd thought of her, but...

  I didn't tell her about how I'd admired her body, or about how I still felt a little... strange... when I thought about her naked body lying next to mine.

  I had no idea why this particular memory had disturbed me so. I had remembered lives when I had been attracted to women... sometimes as a man, sometimes as another woman. Some of the memories had been very graphic, to the point where I would probably be able to pleasure a woman very well, thank you very much.

  If I swung that way in this life, which I didn't.

 
; So why this particular sapphic past life memory affected me so much was baffling. It did, however, so after leaving the meditation room I walked directly down to Jack's basement playroom and told him that I needed to get baked with no questions asked.

  Which is how I got to this 'happy fun-ball” level of stonedness.

  I spied Jack sitting near me, staring in my direction. The look on his face was pure bafflement.

  “What's up?” I asked, my voice thick and heavy. I took a hit off of the bong that he had generously set me up with. “Is someone behind me?” I didn't want to turn and look... it was too much work.

  “You seriously just had a past life memory where you wanted to diddle Raina?!?” he asked incredulously.

  “What the hell?” I asked, seriously confused. “Are you reading minds now? Is there an app for that?”

  “That would be a bitchin' app,” he said, “but not needed here. You've been talking to yourself ever since the brownie kicked in.”

  “I what?”

  “Yeah. You've been sounding like Keith Richards at an opioid convention, but understandable.”

  I thought back in my cannabis haze and dimly remembered taking breaths in-between 'thoughts'. "Shit."

  “Don't worry,” he said, smiling, “I know when something's not for public dissemination, so your secret's safe with me.”

  “What's in this weed?” I asked, eyeing the pile on the desk that I'd been filling the bong from.

  “I think this strain is called 'Sodium Pentathol', or something.” he replied, shrugging.

  “I'll tell you one thing,” I grinned, “the weed industry does not need to worry about running afoul of 'truth in advertising' laws!”

  “Formula four-twenty, guaranteed to loosen lips in large quantities.” he quipped back.

  That made me laugh. I honestly didn't know how I would have handled everything that had changed in my life over the past year if it hadn't been for cannabis. Drinking alcohol left me feeling ill the next day, and meditation alone wasn't enough to relax when things like were-creatures tried to make a mate out of a friend, as had happened to Jack earlier in the year.

  It was honestly hard to believe that the incident in question was just earlier the past spring. I felt like I had aged a decade in that time, mentally.

  Without the ganja, I'd feel like a senior citizen inside I thought.

  “I mean, it wasn't Raina,” I said, suddenly switching back to what was dominating my thoughts, “it was her spirit in another body.”

  “What did she look like?”

  “I don't know...” I replied, searching my memory. “About five feet tall, curly dark hair, kinda...” I searched for the right words. “Not fat, but curvy. You know, soft. But sexy.” A great deal was fuzzy about the memory, but not how she looked, it turned out.

  Jack smiled. “Like, curvy in a 'hot woodland nymph' kind of way.”

  It wasn't a question, but I answered it anyway. “Yeah, like that. The kind of body that keeps you warm on a chilly night.” A slight smile teased my lips.

  My friend's eyes went up at the last remark. “You sound like you speak from experience.”

  “Remember, dude, I've had my share of lifetimes where Vincent was in a woman's body.” I reminded him. “I'm sure that's where some of this comes from.”

  I was also reminding myself. For some reason, this felt important to do.

  * * *

  The next day I awoke refreshed and just more alive than I had for the previous few days. I chalked this up to the healing properties of a good night's sleep, even if it was brought on by my massive cannabis intake the night before. I had a bounce in my step as I walked into the parlor and came upon Angelique looking through her journals.

  “I really must get these to my source in the Vatican.” she said wistfully, closing the volume she held. “They need to be digitized, and I'm afraid that Vincent and Jack are too busy doing research to do so.”

  “You could do them yourself.” I replied. “You're an ancient vampire, not a baby boomer trying to puzzle out the new iPhone.”

  “I'm flattered at your confidence in me,” she said, smiling, “but I'm afraid that a comfort with technology isn't something that I ever had, even when the technology was far simpler.”

  “Any luck?” I sat down by her, curious as to whether she'd found any more clues about the mysterious lakes around the world and their paranormal neighbors.

  “I'm afraid not. All I know about are the ones I've mentioned previously. I'm not finding anything new out.”

  “Want to fill me in on what you do know?” I asked hopefully.

  However, my hopes were soon dashed. “I don't want to say anything until I get a bigger picture.” she replied, shaking her head. “I don't want to make your life any more scary and confusing than it already is.”

  “I suppose I should be grateful for that.”

  “So what's new with you?”

  I weighed whether or not to tell her about my latest past-life vision. I finally decided that it was useless to try to hide it from her, she was just too perceptive. I filled her in, but omitted anything about my attraction to Raina in this past life, as well as my discomfort with it. No use saying anything about that until I have something to report!

  “Ah yes,” she said when I finished, “I remember that life.”

  “So you were there?” I asked, instantly curious.

  “Yes, but not for some time from where you remembered. Cricket was a powerful magick user by the time I came into the picture.”

  I giggled at Raina's name in the old life. “Somehow, 'Cricket the magician' doesn't sound all that powerful.”

  "Oh, but she was... or will be, in the timeline of your recollection." She remembered something and smiled. "Ah, you're hung up on the name. You should know that it sounded more impressive in the original language."

  I had been having trouble placing the incarnation in history, and thus perked up when Angelique intimated that she remembered more than I. “What language was it?”

  She smiled. “A language that hasn't been spoken in a thousand years. I'm afraid that this is another lost civilization.”

  This had come up before. One of the problems with living a normal human lifespan was that we were extremely dependent on archaeologists, sociologists, and other modern sciences for our view of history. The reality was that a great many civilizations have risen, existed... sometimes for hundreds of years... and then disappeared without a trace. Some cultures that were an accepted part of our history were only known because a few artifacts survived the centuries, against the odds. Many more vanished without a trace.

  Some were known only because an ageless creature like Angelique witnessed them and remembered.

  “Can you give me any details?” I had a feeling that I knew the answer.

  “I'd prefer to let you discover that life for yourself. I wouldn't want to pollute your recollection by sharing my thoughts.”

  This was a common answer from Angelique, and only somewhat less of one for Vincent. I didn't argue, however... I had come to see that their hiding of knowledge about me being the Sorceress was done to avoid me breaking under the stress and pressure of such a thing, and that it was a good thing that they did. It didn't stop it from being frustrating and annoying, however.

  “Must be a day that ends in 'y'...” I said, trailing off. “So, what's on the agenda for today?” I added brightly, letting her know that I was giving up.

  “I'm afraid that I shall have to postpone our session.” she answered gently, rising from her seat. “I have to prepare some rooms for a couple of guests who will be joining us tomorrow.”

  This was news to me. “Really? Who?”

  “Oh, you'll find out.” she said, her normally serene smile marred by something that looked like indigestion.

  “Is this another lesson?”

  “No, just a wish that it wasn't happening.”

  She left without another word.

  * * *

  The
afternoon was sunny, so Vincent and I went outside to do our battle training. Knowing magick is one thing, but being able to defend myself physically was something I had never learned how to do, and my experiences in the last year told me that it was something I needed.

  Of course, it was difficult to concentrate at times due to the fact that Vincent always insisted on doing our exercises shirtless. I dressed differently as well, ditching my normal dresses for stretch pants, loose top, and sports bra. It was just hard to focus on anything other than my boyfriend's rippling pecs. I was doing okay that day, however, and listened intently to his directions.

  "Feel all of your muscles, be aware of everything." he said. "When you're balanced without and within, it's that much more difficult to knock you off-center."

  My eyes were closed, and I took a deep breath. I could feel the energy, that was always there since my transformation, rippling along my muscles. It came together at several junctions on my anatomy, combined, and got stronger.

  This was new. We had spent all of our previous sessions concentrating on mental and physical balance, poise, and stamina.

  Basically, we'd done a lot of yoga. This felt more operative.

  “Okay, now I'm going to grab you in a moment, and I want you to see if you can keep your center. I'll hold back, but you'll probably be overwhelmed quite easily. Don't sweat it... we'll develop defensive movements next.”

  I felt the energy stop moving, choosing instead to pulse in place. I was ready.

  “I'll count it in this time. One... two... three!”

  I felt Vincent's arms on me, and I moved reflexively. My hands went up in between us, and with a whoosh! of energy Vincent was propelled almost thirty feet across the yard.

  “Oh my Gods, are you okay?” I said as I rushed to his side. He may have been laying on his side, but those sides were shaking with laughter.

  "Damn, Angelique told me that the energy flowing through you could act on its own, but whooo!"

  I was smiling, but in wonder. “What the hell? I never learned to...”

  “You don't need to.” he said, getting up. “The energy within you will eventually form into a... well, it's like the subconscious mind, only it's for magick. It can act on it's own.”