by MJ Caan
“I am. Would you give me the pleasure of knowing who you are and how you know me?”
“I will not. I have questions for you and you must answer,” replied Aunt Vivian.
I must have been hearing things, for the shade within the smoke seem to chuckle.
“Ask whatever you want, Vivian,” said the shade.
“You do not know me, spirit,” said Aunt Vivian. “You are forbidden to speak our names, and you must answer only the questions we ask.”
“Do you think that I don’t recognize the stench of your magic?” said the shade. “You put me in this dark place. You took away my pets. You took away my fun. I can hear Lena chanting. I would recognize the taste of your magics anywhere. But I sense you’re one short…”
Aunt Vivian showed no emotion but continued her questioning. “Do you have any knowledge of new warlocks coming to Trinity Cove?”
“No. It would not be a surprise if there are, however. The only surprise would be that it’s taken them so long to find this treasure.”
“Do you yourself have any knowledge of dark magic being worked to undo the balance in Trinity Cove?” said Aunt Vivian.
The shade did not answer, but seemed to grow restless, if that was possible for something comprised primarily of smoke. “If I did, do you think it would be in my best interest to tell you?”
“Need I remind you, spirit, that you are bound? You must answer truthfully.”
“No, I don’t have to. There’s something different about you now. Your magic isn’t what it once was. You cannot compel me. However, I will answer your questions because it amuses me to do so. There are whisperings on this side of the veil.”
“What kinds of whisperings?” said Vivian.
“Whisperings that the forbidding is crumbling. That it has weakened in places and allowed old, dark things to creep through. But something tells me you already knew that.”
“Is there a force actively working to bring down the forbidding?” asked Aunt Vivian.
“Yes.”
“Is it another warlock?”
“No. The signature is of something much older than that.”
“Tell me what you know of the name Mallis and the Order of the Fell,” said Aunt Vivian.
The spirit seemed to pause, withdrawing back into the smoke. Aunt Lena again sped up her chanting, drawing the shade out.
“Do you know who or what Mallis is?” said Vivian.
“Mallis is your death. If Mallis has come, then darkness will surely follow. The Order of the Fell are his apostles. They will pave the way for him to consume the light.”
I could see Aunt Vivian looking at Aunt Lena with concern in her eyes. Aunt Lena’s eyes were closed as she continued to chant, but there was a line of sweat breaking out on her forehead. It was obviously a strain for her to maintain control over the forces that had summoned this ghost. But she did not give up.
“Tell us, warlock, how do you know this Mallis?” said Aunt Vivian.
“That is simple. Mallis is the one who taught me the ways of the dark. He is blackness and glory beyond your comprehension. And where he walks, the light will fall.”
“Tell us how to find him,” said Vivian.
“I have a better idea. Why don’t you release me from my prison, and I will be happy to take you to him.”
“You don’t know where he is, do you?” said Aunt Vivian. “And if he was your teacher, you must not have been a very good pupil. After all, he didn’t seem to care enough to come to your aid. I think that you have been forgotten. You will never leave that dark half-world that you are trapped within.”
“How about I make you a deal?” said the spirit. “Release me, and I’ll do something for you.”
“Treacherous spirit,” said Aunt Vivian, “we would never make deals with your kind. There is nothing you can do for me.”
“Really? I suppose...you never want to see your sister again? Free me from this prison, and I can reunite you with her.”
The spirit’s words reverberated through the air. Aunt Lena stopped chanting. Before I could stop myself, I let out an audible gasp and stood up. Wrong move, and I knew it as soon as it happened. Instantly, the tone in the room changed. The temperature dropped enough that I could suddenly see my breath in front of me. The smoky form of the spirit had become so dense it was nearly solid, and it stood at the edge of the circle, slowly tracking its featureless head back and forth. I could tell it was trying to lock in on me.
“Who is that?” the spirit said. “What tasty morsel is here with you, Vivian? I sense…so much power.”
“We are done here, spirit,” said Aunt Vivian. “I command you return to the—”
“No!” I shouted before she could release the spirit. “Did this thing just say it knows where my mother is?” I took a step forward, fists clenched. Only Cody’s hand on my arm held me back.
“Allie, no!” he said.
The reaction of the spirit was immediate and violent. A rumble passed through the room as the smoke comprising the shade went from wispy gray to jet black. A face that had until now been entirely formless condensed into a single glowing red eye. It turned and focused on the two of us.
“My pet!” the spirit shouted. “You have one of my pets! Give it to me! Give it to me now!” The black form charged at us, only to rebound from an invisible wall when it struck the boundary of the circle. The spirit roared in rage and launched forward to strike the barrier yet again. The flames of the four candles seemed to erupt, belching yellow fire three feet into the air. Still, the spirit continued to strike at the barrier. This time, a small crackling could be heard following each blow it landed.
Aunt Lena slammed the book closed and leapt to her feet. Immediately she began chanting, arms outstretched, doing everything she could to keep the barrier in place.
“Enough!” screamed Aunt Vivian. She raised her staff above her head and brought it down with smashing force in a two-handed blow. The head of the staff landed in the chalk circle as she said a single word: “Esconde!” The chalk outline of the circle glowed brilliantly before erupting in a dome of bright white and blue light. Aunt Vivian stepped back as the dome melted away, taking with it the wailing form of the warlock.
The silence that rushed to fill the room was all too brief.
The disturbance that had been created by the spirit was suddenly replaced by an even more terrifying sound. The ragged wheezing of the ghost was gone; in its place I could hear a deep, threatening growl. The sound was almost painful, like the combination of a warning, a threat, and fear. I looked slowly towards Cody. His body was rigid, his head bowed forward so that his chin rested on his chest. He was breathing heavily with a deep, rumble that emanated from his chest. My eyes traveled down the length of his body, and I could see his hands squeezed into trembling fists. Blood dripped from his palms where his nails had suddenly extended into claws and were piercing his own flesh. He turned toward me, his face marked with glowing yellow eyes. His mouth, only beginning to change, silently spoke one word to me:
“Run!”
19
I fell backward onto the couch, slapping my hand over my mouth to silence a scream. I watched in horror as Cody’s back arched in a way that looked incredibly painful. The cracking of his bones sounded like gunshots in the suddenly-too-small space. I wanted to move, to run away, but I was frozen in place. The gruesomeness of the sight had me transfixed. Slowly, as his jaw began to elongate, Cody turned to look at me. He was starting to salivate, and the intensity in his yellow eyes kept me from reading his emotions. His final word echoed loudly in my mind: Run!
He faced me and reached forward, razor-sharp talons glinting in the flickering light. Before either of us could make a move, I heard a sharp thwack as Aunt Vivian’s staff struck the side of Cody’s head. It wasn’t a hard blow; it was only meant to get his attention. It worked, and as he turned to face the older woman, a snarl formed in his throat. As soon as he locked eyes with her, he froze in place.
Aunt Vivian held his
gaze, the tip of her staff inches away from the bridge of his nose. Neither of them moved, and neither looked away, although I could see Cody’s nose beginning to twitch as if he were tasting something in the air. The sudden quiet and stillness in the air snapped me out of my frozen panic. I concentrated and reached for my magic, pulling it up and channeling it into my fist.
“Allie, no!” It was Aunt Lena. Before I could do anything, she rushed to my side, facing Cody. She held her small fist in front of her face, opening it with her palm up to reveal a white powder resting in her hand. She blew hard, blasting the substance into Cody’s face.
Instantly, the wolf gasped and swatted at the air with a gnarled hand. Whatever the substance was, the effect was immediate, as Cody dropped to one knee and then all fours, before finally collapsing in a heap on the floor. In the brief second it’d taken him to fall, he had fully reverted back to his human form. I felt a hand gripping my forearm, and looked up to see Aunt Lena.
“It’s okay, girl. Reel it back in,” she said.
It took me a second to realize that she was talking about my magic. A blue orb still shimmered around my closed fist. I close my eyes to calm my breathing. As I relaxed, I felt the magic flow back into me and settle at a point just behind my navel.
“That’s it,” said Aunt Lena. “The touch of your magic would have just completed his transformation. And no matter what my sister thinks, none of us are a match for a fully Shifted wolf at this point.”
“Maybe. Maybe not,” said Aunt Vivian. “We barely managed to contain a single spirit. We are definitely getting too old for this.”
I didn’t answer, and I could feel their eyes watching me as my own landed on Cody’s unconscious form.
“Is he okay? What did you give him?” I said.
“A concentrated form of animal tranquilizer,” said Aunt Lena. “That dose would’ve dropped a charging rhino.”
“That sounds like a lot,” I said. “How long will he be out?”
“You never know with werewolves,” said Aunt Lena. “Couple of hours, maybe a couple of days. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“Should we?” said Aunt Vivian.
“Should we what?” I said.
My aunts exchanged looks before meeting my eyes. “And stop doing that,” I said. Before they could question me, I continued, “That thing that you two are doing when you look at each other. Whatever that silent communication is, if it involves everyone else in the room then just speak up.”
“Very well,” said Aunt Vivian. “We were just wondering…if it wouldn’t be better if your friend here didn’t wake up.”
I didn’t try to hide the look of shock that fell across my face, or the shadow of anger that quickly took its place.
“I can’t believe you would say that,” I said, trying to control the tremble in my voice.
“Take it easy, Allie,” said Aunt Vivian. “It was just a thought.”
“No, it wasn’t,” I said. “But whatever it was, it’s not something that we should ever consider again.”
“The warlock referred to him as one of his pets,” said Aunt Lena. “Do you know what that means? Because if you don’t, I will happily spell it out for you.”
I didn’t say anything; I didn’t feel that I had to. I wasn’t around the last time werewolves prowled the streets of Trinity Cove, but what my aunts were suggesting left a very bad taste in my mouth that I just couldn’t swallow. I looked down at the unconscious form at my feet, and shook my head.
“There’s another way. There has to be,” I said. “Otherwise, maybe we’re the ones that are the animals.”
Neither of them said anything as I took the blanket off the couch to cover Cody. I couldn’t stop myself from lightly stroking his hair as I lifted his head and eased one of the pillows under it. When I stood up, I could see that that small sentiment had not been lost on my aunts.
“What did the warlock mean about your sister?” I said. “He was talking about my mother, right?”
“Honestly, I have no idea where he was going with that,” said Aunt Vivian. The fact that she did not hesitate before answering told me that she was not holding anything back. “But I assume, since we have no other sister, that’s exactly who he meant.”
I paused before asking the next question, measuring my words carefully. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer. “Is my mother dead?”
“We don’t know,” said Aunt Vivian, taking me by the hand. “When we faced the warlock and created the forbidding that holds him and all of his ilk at bay, your mother sacrificed herself to ensure that he would never walk in this world again.”
My legs were numb and would no longer hold me up. All these years, everything I had imagined that could have happened to my mother, this would not have been one I would have guessed. I dropped onto the couch, still not letting go of my aunt’s hand. She sat down next to me and reached up to push a stray strand of red hair away from my eyes and tuck it behind my ear.
“The spell that we created to lock the warlock away, and to keep the world of the living separated from the supernatural, could only stand for so long. The magic that created the forbidding needed constant feeding. Without a continual influx of new magic it would have eventually fallen. Your mother knew this.” Aunt Vivian’s voice faded away. She swallowed an immense sadness and could not look me in the eye.
“Your mother was the only one of us who could maintain such a wall,” continued Aunt Lena. “She chose to seal herself away on the supernatural side of the forbidding.” She watched me closely to make sure I was following. “As a Reliquary, your mother could tap into a nearly limitless reserve of magic. She used that power to continually reinforce the forbidding, ensuring that no warlock—well, no supernatural being of any kind—could cross over and terrorize our world again.”
I let her words sink in. “So you mean to tell me that my mother—your sister, has been trapped on the other side of the dimensional wall with warlocks, demons, spirits and all manners of supernaturals all this time?”
Neither of them said anything. “If that’s the case, then why did the warlock say there were holes appearing in the forbidding? Why am I suddenly been attacked by bear Shifters? And why is Cody suddenly transforming into a werewolf?” Neither of them spoke, so I decided to push the envelope a little. “I’ll tell you why. It’s because magic is returning to the world. I don’t know what that means for my mother, if she’s still alive, but it can’t be good.”
“It doesn’t mean anything good for us, that’s for sure,” said Aunt Lena. “If there truly are cracks appearing along the forbidding allowing the darkness to seep into our world, then all of us are in danger.” She turned to Aunt Vivian. “We need to make a trip tomorrow.”
“Where are we going?” I said.
“We aren’t going anywhere,” said Aunt Vivian. “My sister and I need to make a trip up north. There are other communities, covens of witches, farther up the coast. We need to see if the danger is localized to Trinity Cove, or if it’s more widespread.”
“And if it’s more widespread?” I said. “Will these other witches help us?”
“There’s no way of knowing,” said Aunt Lena. “Many of these communities were settled by witches who fled the warlock’s attack on Trinity Cove. There weren’t many of them, but at the time they wanted nothing to do with magic or warlocks. I don’t think that they will welcome us with open arms, considering we’re bringing both back into their lives.”
“And what about my mother?” I said. “Aren’t we going to try and save her? Is all…this even the right course of action?” They both looked at me, their eyes encouraging me to continue. “I mean, if this is just the start, wouldn’t the witches that fled here be wise to try and stop this new threat now? Before this warlock gains in strength or more supernaturals are released?
“I’m sorry but running off to ask for help from someone that wants nothing to do with us doesn’t seem the wisest. I’m sorry, I don’t mean any off
ense, but that’s just how I see it. The other witches left us. And honestly, there’s only one thing I really need to focus on; if there is any chance my mother is still alive, I have to find her.”
Aunt Vivian sighed. “Did you not see what just happened? We could hardly contain a single spirit. That spirit did not have access to the warlock’s powers. If that were to happen, my sister and I would be no match for anything conjured against us. And you…you are not ready for any of this.” She glanced down at Cody before looking back to me as if to press her point home. “And your mother knew the risk she was taking. That’s why she never wanted you to know anything about this. Not magic, not the supernatural world, none of it. She didn’t want you to ever face making the sacrifices that she made.”
“So what am I supposed to do?” I asked. “Just sit around here waiting for you guys to decide the next course of action?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what you’re going to do,” said Aunt Vivian. “Right now, your job is to protect Gar. You said it yourself: whatever is happening right now is just beginning. When we return, we will discuss training you in the use of your magic. But until then, your power is too unpredictable. You may feel strong, but any warlock worth his salt will drain you before you even know what hits you.”
“We have something for you,” said Aunt Lena. She walked over to the corner wardrobe were Aunt Vivian had kept her staff. She rummaged around it briefly before returning, offering me a length of silver cord about four feet long and weighted on either end.
“What is it?”
“It is a belt woven of silver thread,” said Aunt Lena. “It belonged to your mother. I think she would want you to have it.”
I took the shiny cord in hand, examining it closely. It looked like a belt I had seen the girls wearing on That ’70s Show, and wasn’t exactly the height of fashion now. My aunts could see the way that I eyed it suspiciously.
“Just wear it for the time being,” said Aunt Lena. “It’s pure silver, and you have seen the effects that silver can have on anything supernatural. It’s a lot easier to hide than a silver dagger in this day and age.” I hadn’t thought about it like that, but it made perfect sense.
