Playing With Monsters

by Amelia Hutchins

  “Fuck,” Cassidy said and her girls giggled brainlessly.

  “Mate, produce the next generation, who will preserve and carry on our heritage and bloodlines,” Samantha said with red cheeks. “After that, you’ll be sequestered in the abbey while you learn to respect and use your new powers. It’s a time to bond together, and learn to use and wield your powers for the good of the coven.”

  “So we won’t have powers right away?” Kendra asked.

  “It takes time to learn to use them correctly.” She smiled tightly, and nodded at Aurora, who had raised her hand.

  “So what’s the point in lifting our curse if we can’t do shit?” Aurora asked, and Cassidy made a grunting noise of approval, which had Aurora beaming with a cocky smile.

  “The point is that we can draw from your powers once the coven is tethered and bound together. When a new witch is awakened to the powers of their soul, that magic is pooled into the coven’s bonds. Each one of you will add something to the magic this coven already has. Think of it as a cauldron that is already half full. Each one of you will add a cup of power to it, making it full again.”

  “What if we’re not selected?” I asked.

  “Anyone not selected would return to the abbey and wait to be excused to go home,” she said softly.

  “I get that, but what happens then?”

  “You’ll wait until the next Awakening, but it’s highly unlikely that if one wasn’t selected during their first Awakening, that the person would be selected in a second attempt,” she whispered with a frown. “But it isn’t unheard of, either.”

  “Will Lena be excluded because she was raped? You know, the whole not having sex within the month leading up to the Awakening rule thingy,” Cassidy asked, and my stomach dropped.

  Every one turned to look at me, and it took everything I had to remain emotionless as I stared at Samantha, and waited for her to answer the damn question.

  “What happened to Magdalena was horrible, and certainly not what anyone should consider sex. The ancestors choose from bloodlines. Cassidy, the question you should be asking is if you will be chosen. Your lines are watered down, to say the least, and power isn’t something that can be purchased.”

  Ouch.

  “I think money can pretty much buy anything, or anyone,” Cassidy countered smugly. “I wasn’t asking to be rude, but she could be pregnant; she was after all, raped, right?” Her eyes moved to mine with smugness.

  “Actually, he didn’t finish before…” I killed him.

  “Before what?” she pried. “Before you killed him?”

  “Enough, Cassidy! This is not something to be shared with the room. If you have questions for Magdalena, ask her at a more appropriate time,” Samantha interrupted.

  I felt sick to my stomach, because the question brought up the images I’d refused to see for the last few days. I stood up and left the room, moving towards the entrance of the abbey to feel the cool, fresh air. The moment I touched the door, Tabitha stopped me; her hands on my shoulders were calming, her words comforting as she whispered something in a mixture of English and Latin.

  “Better?” she asked after a moment.

  “Where the hell did you come from?” I asked, looking around the bustling room.

  “I felt the discomfort. I told you, Magdalena, we’re connected. All of us, even Cassidy.”

  “I’d rather be connected to a skunk than that bitch,” I retorted, and winced. I’d no sooner said it than regretted saying to the high priestess. “Sorry.”

  “You’re not,” she said softly. “Just because you’re connected doesn’t mean you have to like her. What she did in the library was callous, and meant to hurt you. She lashed out because knows the selection can’t be bought and things she can’t manipulate and control frighten her. She’s a spoiled child, one whose mother indulges her entirely too much. Not to mention, the one man she decided to have, hasn’t paid her any attention since a certain witch rolled back into town. He’s only had eyes for you, and that has added a good deal of salt to her wounded pride. Helen has dropped hints on many occasions that he was courting her daughter, and Cassidy would be the key to bringing wealth back into the community.”

  “Perhaps that’s why I’ve always been told that one should never assume or indulge in idle gossip,” I mumbled.

  “You like him, Lucian, yes?” she continued.

  “He’s not on my radar for the Harvest,” I admitted.

  “Because you think he is better than you? I will admit, he’s a mystery, that one. I’ve heard that his mate was killed by a monster, which is why he refuses to attend a Harvest. He isn’t an easy one to read, either. I understand his birth coven is scattered, however, he does descend from a pure bloodline that originated out of Aberdeen. The coven that we believe the Blackstone line belonged to took a different route to get to the New World; however, it appears that his coven wasn’t able to withstand the creatures who hunt witches, as ours was.”

  “He’s from Aberdeen?” I asked, my curiosity piqued at knowing more about him.

  “He has not said as much, but when anyone new approaches the coven, we dig into their background and our records to be certain it is safe to allow them near. In the early 1600s, there was a very powerful family with the surname Blackstone, of English descent, and rumored to have been a very powerful bloodline, one with enough power to match our own. They were granted land outside of Aberdeen by the Queen of Scotland herself. If it’s true, that he is descended from that bloodline, he would be a very powerful mate.”

  I blinked, and whistled low. “No wonder why Helen is trying to land him.”

  “Exactly, but he isn’t interested in her daughter anymore, not since the moment he laid eyes on you,” she said with an impish grin that made her eyes brighter. “I personally wouldn’t wish that spoiled child on any man,” she laughed.

  “Someone is going to end up stuck with her,” I mumbled, my mind considering how far Helen might have her claws in Lucian, and I’d been right about her trying to force a match. No wonder Helen was being such a bitch to me; I’d ruined her plans for a powerful match before the Awakening for her spoiled little brat.

  “Yes, but it won’t be Lucian. He’s not interested in being among the men who will join us in the Harvest, not even tempted by the call of the blood of the original line which has brought in a large selection of males hoping to be chosen to mate with one of the women.”

  “I thought that they were here because the ratio was off, and we needed the extra studs?” Studs? I frowned.

  “Studs indeed, Magdalena,” she laughed. “We did have a ratio issue, as you so delicately put it. Too many flowers and not enough bees to pollinate them.” She smiled and shook her head. “I do enjoy our chats, but in all seriousness, they’re here because there is an abundance of girls being awakened from the original bloodlines, which is a rarity for so many to be coming of age at the same time, let alone awakened. Speaking of awakening, you’re missing out on the questions and answers about the ceremony. Cassidy is smiling right now, thinking she won. Don’t let her win; you’re stronger, and just as easily as you can build walls in your head, you can build walls around her instead.”

  Chapter Thirty

  I watched through my lashes as Lucian and his men poured thick black salt behind where we assembled around the fire pit shrouded in ceremonial robes and nothing else. Between the salt, postulants and fire, we must have looked like a gigantic target from above. The whole thing seemed off to me, that Lucian and his men were here, as no one was welcome at the Awakening ceremony unless they were an already awakened witch of the coven, or a postulant.

  When I spotted him, Kendra leaned close to me and whispered that he and his men were here for our protection against any demons who might be attracted to the power that this ceremony would generate. Evidently, Helen had
also been making it abundantly clear to anyone who might be listening, that it was she who had brought them here for our protection, with a donation from her, of course.

  I watched silently as torches were lit and placed outside the circle, one at each point to signify the elements of nature. Quartz crystals for protection had been woven into the fire pit and amber, coral, and petrified wood pieces were added to the fire, creating colorful flames as spells were whispered to intensify the incantation carved into the crystals. The scents of sage, lemon grass, hibiscus, sandalwood, and vanilla tickled my nose as these elements were added to the giant cauldron that bubbled merrily in the center of the fire. A few of Lucian’s men monitored each torch, but he wasn’t watching them, or ensuring they were performing their duties correctly; his eyes were on me.

  I could feel the heat from the torches and from the fire, and even nervousness contributed to the sweat that dripped down the back of my neck. He knew as well as I did, that there would be no chance between us. Not with the events already in motion. There were no do-overs; I was locked into my fate, one that had been a tradition for the coven for centuries.

  That dismal knowledge sat like a boulder on my chest, especially with the heat of Lucian’s eyes weighing on me. I wanted to grab him, a strip of rope, and handfast the sick twisted freak right here and now, no matter what kind of kinky fuckery he was into. Just skip the entire Harvest and be somewhere, lost in those midnight eyes of his. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and turned to find Kendra staring at me curiously.

  “Are you okay?” she whispered softy, as not to be heard or disrupt the ceremony.

  “I’m fine,” I lied as more sweat beaded at the base of my neck. I felt the heat, mixed with the knowledge that this was it. I was going to get my powers; however, I was also about to be mated and it wasn’t by him, and that just sucked. At best, I’d be stuck with the same man for a few weeks until the moon phase passed and then I’d be allowed to have whatever sexual partner I wanted. Unless I ended up pregnant, which luckily I’d taken steps to avoid.

  “You are not fine,” she hissed. “Magdalena, your emotions are all over the place.”

  “Something’s not right,” I whispered. Something wasn’t, I could feel my body pulsating, and it was all pushing to one place…my vagina.

  “It’s the Awakening, and the Harvest spells because both events are together. You’re supposed to feel like that,” she said with a worried look. “Horny, while on fire,” she smiled. “You missed that part because of Cassidy’s bullshit.”

  “What?” I hissed. Fucking great! I was on fire, burning up with an emotion I couldn’t fathom. It felt like fire ants were biting me everywhere! I felt as if my skin was on fire, and moisture was pooling between my legs, and I kept fucking looking at Lucian, because he could make it stop. My hands trembled, and I fisted them against my sides to hide the violent reaction I was having. Everyone else was standing around, and I was shaking. They looked calm, collected, I was a freaking mess! “I’m dying,” I mumbled.

  “Some experience it on a massive level, others tend to handle it…” she paused, looking at me carefully. “…better.”

  Awesome-sauce! I was handling it like shit!

  My eyes found Lucian’s; heat banked in their depths, as if he could sense my brutal arousal, and itched to fix it. I itched for him to do so, quickly.

  Another set of quartz crystals was being placed around the ground, surrounding the wide salt circle, and I wanted to run away. Someone else dropped a handful of sea salt into the cauldron; a few clear quartz crystals were placed into the mixture as well, and then chanting began from the singular witch who stirred the contents of the cauldron. With each herb that was added, the fire inside of me burned hotter.

  “I’m going to pass out,” I announced as sweat beaded on my brow line.

  “Lena, are you okay?” Kat whispered and I turned to look at her. My hair was saturated, sweat was actually running down the side of my face and neck, and I felt sick.

  I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and without turning to see who it was, I knew it was Tabitha.

  “Breathe, Magdalena, you’re going to be just fine,” she whispered, and a cooling breeze moved around me, causing the hooded robe I wore to catch air. It felt amazing. “You are showing signs of much power, indeed. Those who harbor the most, unfortunately also suffer the most.”

  I felt Kendra tense beside me, and felt the jealousy stir inside of her. Our entire lives, I’d allowed her to think I had never felt my powers, not after the few incidents where I’d been in trouble for using it. As firstborn, she was the favored one to be more powerful, but she seemed to be weathering the Awakening spells just fine. Or more to the point, the pre-Awakening, or pre-Harvest, or whatever they wanted to call it; we hadn’t even gotten through the protection spells!

  “Tonight we welcome the newest members of the coven; tonight, we awaken the next generation of our bloodlines,” one of the male elders announced as someone else passed out runes that were a mossy green color and had three connecting rings carved in them, symbolizing the connection of the new witches among the coven. Next were the shiny black Y-engraved runes for women and ones with arrows for men, then the iridescent white Harvest runes, blessing for a fruitful union. Last but not least, the vivid blue veil runes with an eye carved beautifully into the smooth surface were placed in our palms, to allow the dead to know who among us could be selected for both rituals.

  Flames erupted and the popping noise as the protection barrier slipped into place around us caused more than a few of us to jump. Nervous laughter filled the circle, and one by one we were moved closer to the edge of the circle and asked to kneel and place our stones in front of us.

  I felt a chill racing through the circle and as we watched, flickering silhouettes began to take form within the circle, until five figures materialized where small circles had been carved into the earth. At first, the figures were diaphanous, but as they remained frozen in place, they began to take on color and life.

  The first one to move was more than beautiful, she was gorgeous, with raven colored hair and green, jewel like eyes. She held her hand out to a redhead, and then a brunette, who held hers to a blonde, who looked up at a man with black hair and light blue eyes who was still forming. He smiled at her, and she waited patiently as he continued to take solid form. He finally moved, and bluebells grew from the ground wherever they stepped as they moved from their circles.

  They bowed to the elders, and each one set off, inspecting the young women and men who formed the circle. I watched the new arrivals as they slowly took in each of the postulants as the elders moved around us, placing mortar and pestles in front of us. The elders then moved through our groups, using a small blade to slice through the tip of our left index finger so that we could place a few droplets of our blood into the bowls, along with the runes, and crush them as we were being inspected by the dead.

  The crushing of the runes wasn’t quiet, but it was a welcome distraction from the dead who would nod in a certain postulant’s direction as they watched us work. I lifted my head as the raven haired woman moved towards me, her eyes on the bowl. When she looked at me, it was as if she couldn’t even see me. I looked around and then back at her as I watched her reach down into the mortar I’d stopped working so she touched the blood. She brought it up to her nose and turned her face to Kendra with a smile. Weird.

  I ignored it and went back to smashing the crystals into my blood to finish the mixture. When it was done, I sat back on my knees and watched as the dead continued to examine the others. They were looking at them, whereas when they were looking at me, they looked through me, as if they couldn’t see me.

  My heart raced with the uncertainty of emotions that swirled through me. They had to have seen me; it wasn’t like I was invisible, right?

  I looked at Lucian, who was no longer staring at me, but at one
of the witches who had been brought back from the dead for the Awakening, the raven haired one. She was beautiful, though, and I didn’t blame him for staring at her. She was dressed in a black satin dress that hugged her form. Jewels were set in a makeshift crown with long golden chains that flowed intricately though her hair and created a necklace with a crescent moon that hung to her waist. Her hair flowed invitingly to her slim hips, and her lips were painted crimson red. She was perfect, nothing was out of place. Being dead hadn’t been hard on her, obviously. She looked happy, which was a lot better than I looked right now.

  Something dark passed over Lucian’s features and the woman lifted her eyes and looked around the circle as if she’d felt him. It was physically impossible, since he was outside the circle, on the other side of the barrier. Those sinful midnight blue eyes moved from hers to mine, and back. I felt a tightening of nerves and maybe a little jealousy as he sought hers again. Today was really starting to suck, but at least the fire that had been racing through my body had been momentarily put out.

  One after another, the blood in the mortars was tasted and hands were held out to help the postulants from the ground to join the circle of those who were being selected to be awakened. I watched as more and more were moved into the growing circle, until only a few of us on the far side remained.

  I smiled as the man walked towards me, but much like the others, he looked through me and then around. He kneeled down and tilted his head, as if trying to see something. I felt my heart begin to hammer against my ribcage as he reached down to sample the blood. I turned to look at Kendra, who was being helped from the ground and moved into the circle.