“So what changed?” I asked.
“The internet.” Penelope shrugged. “The same thing Jack uses to do vital research for you guys and download porn is used by supernatural beings in much the same way. More of them know about the existence of figures such as the Sorceress than ever before, and there are multiple arguments going on online right now about whether or not you’ve really come.”
“So I’m dealing with the Mother of all internet trolls.” I said, sighing. “Great.”
“I did everything you’ve done, only I could do it slower.” she continued. “I didn’t meet my first Fae for a decade. I didn’t travel to distant lands for a decade beyond that. Your current situation has simply accelerated the process.”
“I am one hundred percent in control of things.” I said. “I just feel like I’m hanging on by a thread sometimes.”
“You’re never in complete control.” Penelope said, smiling. “Don’t pretend that you are.”
Chapter Fifteen
From the Diaries of Angelique Dupre
10/11/1589
Roanoke Colony
I am becoming increasingly concerned about the habits being indulged in by young Sarah.
She has moved out of her family home. I knew that this was coming and necessary. The worldview of these simpletons is simply too narrow to ever be able to adjust to the awesome power of the Sorceress, let alone her coming duties to the world. Leaving that bubble was inevitable.
What’s disturbing is that she will not allow me to paint a convincing death for her family. I had dug up a girl of similar size who had expired from an infection in the late summer and dressed her in Sarah’s personal items. I had then planted clues to allow men from the settlement to find the remains and close the story of the girl they had known.
She refuses to allow the ruse to succeed. She keeps appearing to children in the forest and telling them that she’s run away to “live with the fairies”. She uses her gifts to leave images of herself around for her family and neighbors to find, and then whispers in their dreams that she lives and will not die.
Most troubling, she continues to enchant the young men to come into the forest and enjoy carnal pleasures with them. Her libido is healthy and predictable, that’s not the problem. It’s that she’s so indiscriminate. Her knowledge of memory charms is incomplete, so these men have full memory and knowledge of their sexual exploits with her when they awake the next day.
This is far too much for their fragile worldviews. They have come to fear Sarah, believing her to be a demon sent to rip them eternally away from Heaven.
Yes, the thought IS humorous. She’s taking too much delight in their fear, however.
* * *
Stuck.
I sped along the trail, one part of my mind keeping an eye out for anything unusual as I went. I had gotten good at patrolling while using very little of my conscious mind, so the rest could wander as I made my rounds.
I’m so impossibly stuck right now, I should be walking through the marshy side of our mysterious lake I thought. I was almost bubbling over with frustration.
I spied several dying plants and zapped each one with a little earth energy, their leaves perking up as I breezed by.
Here I am, a so-called ‘legendary magickal figure’, and I can’t figure out who dropped a lake on my boyfriend’s land. Nor can I find out who or what this ‘oracle’ is.
And the less said about my sex life, the better!
I sent a bolt of pure electricity… my latest trick… sailing at a rock and smiled as it cracked in two.
The forest was lush and green again. April had dawned a week ago, and spring was in full swing. I was out in sweat pants and my purple dragon-skin top, the body-hugging material feeling like I wasn’t wearing anything at all.
Unlike last week I thought with a grin.
I had come across a large flat rock in the forest sitting in the middle of a patch of sunlight. Feeling really connected with nature, I decided to strip and enjoy the sunshine.
Drucilla and Darla had been surprised to stumble over me in that state! I smiled. Darla was really into what she saw, though.
Even though the attention was flattering, the thought of yet another sexy individual lusting after me added far too much stress for me to indulge in.
I zapped another rock, but the sound of it splitting wasn’t as satisfying as it had been.
Angelique, what the fuck do I do?!?
“Oof!”
I heard the grunt so clearly, I almost felt it. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. I took a break from my inner turmoil to investigate further.
I was soon at the playground again. Two boys, rough-looking and appearing to be in their early teens, were holding a third boy down and taunting him.
“Hey four-eyes!" one said, his hair spilling out from under a stocking cap.
“Geek!” the other spat.
A fourth boy, this one smaller than the others with curly hair, was nearby. “Let him go!” he shouted at the older boys.
This shouldn’t take long I thought, and sent out my familiar call. Plain bees this time, nothing exotic.
The bullies started to swat around their heads, and the one with the stocking cap grabbed his neck in pain. Instead of getting up and running, however, he just collapsed.
“Billy!” the other bully yelled. He shook his friend, who wasn’t moving.
This is wrong. I found myself running before I knew it, and soon I was standing over the kids on the ground.
“Help me!” Billy’s friend said. “Billy got stung, and he’s really allergic!”
I bent down to look, and he didn’t look good. I couldn’t even tell if he was breathing.
“Does he have an epi-pen?" the smaller, curly-haired boy asked.
“He, uh, used his to pop his sister’s birthday balloon.” he replied.
“Hold on.”
The boy who had been being bullied stood up and fixed his glasses. He was tall and thin, and pulled a fresh epi-pen out of his pocket.
“Here.” the bullied boy said, and jabbed his tormentor’s thigh with the device.
Within a couple of minutes, Billy’s color had returned to his face and he started breathing again.
“Does anybody have a cell phone?” I asked, standing. “We should call an ambulance for him.”
“I do.” the bullied boy said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called for the ambulance.
“You saved his life.” I said as he hung up. “After the way he tormented you.”
“Eh, Billy’s an asshole,” the boy said, “but he doesn’t deserve to die.”
“Are you going to tell on him for bullying you?” I asked.
“No, but I am going to tell his Mom what happened to his last epi-pen.” he said, shrugging. “Should be enough for a laugh.”
I waited there with them for the ambulance before heading home.
* * *
“Wow, so you’re lucky that nerd boy was so forgiving.”
I took a hit off of my joint before I answered Jack. “Billy was the lucky one. Kid’s stupidity almost really cost him.”
“Yeah,” Raina said, joining us, “but that kid could have died. That’s a heavy thing to be responsible for.”
“Well, how could I have known that the kid was allergic… really allergic… to bee stings?” I said. “How common is that?”
“Over twenty-three million people will have a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting in their lifetimes." Jack rattled off.
“Okay captain statistics.” I said, annoyed.
“Live on Google doing research for months on end,” Jack replied, hitting his own joint, “and you start to sound like Google.”
“So how’s the search for the Oracle coming?” I asked, leaning back.
“Smooth as lumpy oatmeal." Jack said, making a jerk-off motion with his hand. "Angelique is supposed to be back tonight. Hopefully, her connections can scare up some decent intel."
“She’s be
en gone a lot this month.” Raina observed.
“She’ll do that.” I quipped. “She’s a big girl.”
“Aren’t we awfully dismissive this afternoon?” Raina said, casting a side glance my way.
“She comes, she goes,” I said, annoyed. “So does my boyfriend. They’re eternal creatures who don’t sleep… they have to do something with the time! It doesn’t mean anything!”
“I never said that it had to mean anything.”
“Yeah, but you inferred it.”
“I didn’t infer it.” Raina said, rising. “You did.”
She left Jack and me in stunned silence.
* * *
Well, this is different!
I jogged down the side of the road, Tiffany just ahead of me. The day was still crisp, but the fact that I was going jogging… jogging!… meant that I kept things basic… shorts and the dragon skin shirt alone.
“How are you doing?” Tiffany asked from ahead.
“Fine.” I said.
I meant it, too. While I had never been an exercise maven, I had tried to stay active. Since coming into my power as the Sorceress, however, my strength and stamina had increased exponentially, so a run that would have winded me in the past hardly had an effect anymore.
I had found Tiffany after my difficulty with Raina, looking for some way to deal with all of my nervous energy. She had been prepping to go on a run, so I decided to join her. We were a couple of miles away from the entrance to the mansion’s driveway before we started to talk.
My running companion dropped back until she was running by my side. “I love getting out here… in the clear air.” she said, smiling. “It really clears my head!”
My own head, unfortunately, was just as cloudy as ever. “Maybe I should run to Argentina.” I said. “I’m not getting the same clearing effect.”
“What’s number one on your hit parade of neuroses?” Tiffany asked.
“I can’t even decide on what’s number one, that’s the hell of it!” I said, jogging a little faster. “I mean, I try to find… non eviscerating ways of dealing with douche-bags, and I still get crap from Raina for it. I didn’t give her crap for nuking those commandos, did I? No. But cause one allergic reaction that almost kills one bully, and suddenly I’m out of control!”
“Did she say that you were out of control?” Tiffany asked, jogging faster to keep up.
“No, but she was thinking it, I could tell.” I said quickly. “And if that’s not bad enough… “
I proceeded to tell her about Angelique, our past lives together, and the constant undercurrent of romance that characterized our entire pasts together. As I voiced my stress, my pace increased until I felt a hand on my arm.
“Annabelle, please...” Tiffany said, out of breath, “stop for a minute.”
I stopped, only then realizing how fast I had been going. “Sorry. Stress reaction.”
I handed her a water bottle and watched as she gulped water in between gulping breaths.
I wasn’t even winded.
“That’s okay.” she said. “I needed… a work out.” She swallowed more water.
“So you see,” I continued, “it’s not enough for me to be the Sorceress, or to have some unknown, powerful foe after me. I have to live on the set of Transylvania 90210!”
“Well, I can tell you that you’ve got it all wrong.” Tiffany said confidently.
“Oh, really?” I said with a grin. “Are you the Oracle without telling us?”
“Please,” she said, taking another sip, “You don’t have to be the Oracle to see what’s up with you.”
“And what’s that?” This ought to be good!
“You only think that you’re stressing about what other people are thinking of you.” she said. “The truth is that you’re not sure what to think about yourself.”
“Really.”
“Yes. I mean, has Raina said that you’re out of control out loud?”
“Well, no, but… “
“And has Angelique been bugging you about your pasts?”
“Not directly, but… “
“And where is the only place that these thoughts come from?”
“From my head, but I still… “
“Then who has the problem?”
Tiffany jogged away before I could answer.
* * *
“So, is Raina still mad about earlier?” I asked.
“Nah.” Jack replied. “She’s off doing another Stag meeting. Katsu just split to join it.”
I took another hit, trying to relax for the first time today. “I wasn’t trying to be all manic. I’m just under a lot of stress!”
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Jack said, holding his hands up with his own joint clenched between his lips. “Katsu says all the time how she wouldn’t want your job.”
“Really?” I said. “The five thousand year old Witch thinks I have it rough? Damn.” I exhaled as I took it in.
“She’s ancient, but relatively unknown.” he said, exhaling as well. “She’s flown under the radar for five millennia. You’re already famous around the world, and you haven’t had your powers for a year yet.”
“True.” I said, nodding.
“Also, her stakes have usually been lower." he continued. "I hate to go all Spider-Man on you, but with great power… "
“Yadda yadda yadda.” I finished, waving my hand. “I know, great responsibility and shit. I get it.” I took another hit. “You know, I always figured that magickal types would be jealous of my power… the power of the Sorceress.”
“Some are, and our ‘secret admirer’ is probably one of them.” Jack said. “But not all of them. Imagine, being happy with what you have.” He grinned.
“What are you, some sort of communist?” I asked sarcastically, grinning as well.
At that point, a completely naked Katsu breezed into the room and started rooting around in the dresser by the bed.
“Hi, honey." Jack said to his busy girlfriend.
“Hello.” she replied, sounding annoyed beyond words.
“What’s up?” he asked, smiling at me.
“God-damn prudes!” Katsu spat, spinning around. “I don’t have any parts that they don’t,” she continued, pointing at her body, “but now I’m being disruptive and have to put on clothes?”
“The nerve.” I deadpanned, grinning back at Jack.
“Exactly! Angelique is coming back tonight and we’re supposed to have our new security plan in place before that happens, and I’m wasting time looking for clothes!” Katsu started searching the piles of clothes scattered near the bed. Without comment, she made her selection and put it on.
“There!” she said, standing in front of us. “I hope they’re happy!”
I didn't know what to say about her… unique clothing choices but didn't get the chance to say anything to her. She stormed out of the room before I could and I looked at Jack. "Do you think they'll be happy?" I asked.
“I don’t know.” he replied, smiling. “I know I’m always happy when she wears the crotch-less lingerie with the holes cut out for the nipples, but for a security meeting?”
It felt good to laugh.
* * *
The entire gang was gathered in the parlor. It really was the entire gang, as well, with Drucilla, Darla, and Cordelia joining us for a rare indoor appearance. Their varying shades of blue skin were especially vibrant, having spent so many months outdoors.
Gaia left them and walked over to sit by me. “So, Angelique’s back?” she asked.
“Yes, it appears so.” I replied. “I’m hoping that it’s something good, what with all of the pageantry here.” I said, looking around the room.
“Here.” she said, handing me a joint.
“What’s this?”
“A little Fae weed. You might need some extra help settling down.”
“Thanks.”
The weed did it’s job. By the time Angelique entered the room, I was more relaxed than I had been in w
hat felt like forever.
“My friends.” Angelique said as we all quieted down. “I bring tidings from Australia. A very old friend there has provided us with a vital piece of information that I will now share with you.”
Everyone hung on her every word, some leaning in as they waited for her to continue.
“The Oracle is a person. A particular person.” she said. “She has lived as long as the Botan Doro, and has melded into human history at every point. She has always lived among regular mortals, even though she has the power of extreme insight.”
“Extreme insight?” Tiffany asked, the only person to break their silence.
Angelique smiled. “Yes, extreme insight. Some would call her a seer of the future, a true psychic, if you will. But her true power is to see things as they are, with no illusions.”
“Which is more powerful than it sounds.” Gaia added.
Angelique nodded. “I have word that the Oracle is living with some traveling hippies at present time, and that her adopted tribe will be at a particular festival in a few months. We should go.”
“Which festival?” Trevor asked, his eyebrows raised.
“It is called ‘the Starwood Festival’.” Angelique replied.
“Starwood? Hot damn!” Trevor said, smiling. “I haven’t been there since they were in New York state. Always a good time, that festival!”
“Wasn’t that the place where you had that four-way with the twins from California and that shape-shifting belly-dancer?” Evelyn asked.
“The very same!” Trevor said, his grin even wider.
“Isn’t that one of those clothing optional events?” Raina asked next.
“I believe so.” Angelique answered.
“Thank fucking God!” Katsu exclaimed, and we all laughed.
The meeting over, everyone broke up and started to leave in groups. On my way out of the room, I again felt a hand on my arm.
The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga Page 32
