Blood Prophecy (Witch Fairy) (15 page)

With a final push of my magic through the light, I pull it back.  Midar has a shadow in his eyes that looks an awful lot like fear.  But Louhi simply looks more determined.  And angry.  Guess I’ll have to wait and see how that plays out but I’m not staying here a second longer.  I close my eyes and don’t open them until I hear Kallen’s voice and feel his hands on my shoulders.  A look of relief washes over his face.

“Xandra, are you alright?”

Opening my eyes slowly, I smile.  “Yes.”

“Was it the same two men?”

I nod.  “Yeah, Louhi and Midar.  And yes, they’re still just as horrible looking.”

That causes him to chuckle.  “I assume you were successful in channeling the pain?”

“Yup, and they didn’t like it at all.  Midar was scared, but I think I just made Louhi really mad.  He said they have protection against ‘my kind of magic.’  Whatever that means.”

“I am sure he meant Fairy magic.”

Oh, that makes sense.  “Could they really have things that would make them immune to Fairy magic?”

He shakes his head.  “No.  They may have talismans or amulets that will temporarily fend off Fairy magic, but nothing that would protect them indefinitely.”

That’s good.  I’d hate to have to rely on only my Witch magic.  Who knows what collateral damage that could cause?

Kallen gets to his feet and holds his hand out to me.  “Come.”

“You know I hate it when you treat me like a dog.”

He looks confused and I roll my eyes.  “When you tell me to come.  You’re as bad as those guys.”

Now he looks angry.  Maybe I went a little far comparing him to Midar and Louhi, but I’m on edge myself.  “Am I supposed to beg you on humbled knee?  Perhaps I should prostrate myself in front of you?  Would that be better?”  Before I can say the cutting retort that is parked on my tongue, he snaps, “We should find the others and tell them what you have been able to do.”  And then he walks out the door and down the hall.

Geez, he sure is sensitive.  Or I seriously owe him an apology.  Yeah, probably that.  With heavy feet, I follow him out into the hall towards the kitchen. 

Mom and Grandma are back inside.  Mom’s face is grim.  “Xandra, there you are.  I was just discussing with your father and grandmother
how
changed your grandfather is.  It’s as if he’s not even the same man he was when I was growing up.”  She shakes her head.  “I don’t know who this man is.  He’s become a monster.” 

She turns to Grandma. “You tried to tell me, but I didn’t believe you.”

“He has slowly morphed into this shell of a man.  It’s been a long time since I could stand to be in his presence.”

“Is he under a spell?” I ask.

Grandma looks startled.  “Sveargith is too strong to be influenced in such a way.”

I shrug.  “Unless his defenses were down.  Maybe losing both you and Mom was enough for someone to sneak in and put him under a spell.  It could happen, couldn’t it?”  I don’t know that I believe it, but maybe it’ll make them feel better to think that’s the case.

Mom’s big blue eyes are full of hope.  “Yes, if he was depressed enough, that may have given someone an in.  Don’t you think, Mother?”

Grandma still looks doubtful.  “Why would someone do that?”

“Power, love, money.  Aren’t those the usual things people are after when they do things like that?”

Dad pipes up from where he’s standing next to Mom.  “But why not just take over.  Why keep him in place at all?”

“Perhaps whoever is exerting control over him is not powerful enough to hold the throne on their own,” Kallen says. 

“And needs my father’s strength in order to rule over the realm.”

“So, Grandpa’s like a puppet, then?”

Kallen nods.  “It is a distinct possibility if the changes in him have been as dramatic as your mother and grandmother claim.”

“Is it just as likely that he’s become a bitter old man because both his daughter and his wife left him?”  Okay, I know I started this conversation, but we should look at all the options.

Kallen is giving me a weird look for my backpedaling but Grandma speaks up before he has a chance.  “It could be.  But being under a spell would better account for his radical behavior changes over the years.  I guess I have been too close to the situation.  I’ve wondered if the Witan had too much power over the years, but it didn’t dawn on me that they might actually be controlling Sveargith.”

“They could do that?” I ask in a small voice.

Kallen nods.  “Yes, even the most powerful Witch can be spelled if his or her psychic defenses are low enough.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.  I don’t want Grandpa to be under a spell because that means that I just might be vulnerable as well.  As soon as someone in my family is threatened, or Kallen, my psychic defenses will come tumbling down.  Kallen’s pretty smart.  He seems to catch on to my fear and despite his annoyance from a few minutes ago, he comes to stand by my side and slips my hand in his.

He gives my hand a little squeeze.  “If your grandfather is under a spell, it was probably years in the making.  The influence so subtle, he would not even know it is there.” 

That is not comforting at all.  “Which means he’s not struggling against it.  He just accepts it as the person he’s become?  He doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with him.”

“From what your grandmother says, these Witches are very good at planting emotions and controlling others.  It is not a stretch to guess that they can be subtle when the situation requires it.”

“Indeed.”  Grandma looks contemplative.  Can this idea really have just dawned on her?  Seriously, she’s been near him all these years.  As if reading my thoughts, she says, “I should have paid better attention to the changes Sveargith underwent.  I was so focused on his part in chasing my daughter away, I lost sight of everything else around me.”

“Where is Grandpa now?”

“He left.  But, I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

Yeah, I’m sure he will be. 

Chapter 12

I think if I put one more necklace around my neck with an amulet or talisman on it, I’m not going to be able to stand up from my chair.  I have to be wearing at least fifty pounds of the things made of rocks, silver, amber, leather and who knows what else.  Mom and Grandma have been going crazy for the last three hours making them in preparation for Grandpa and the Witan coming back with lots of tricks up their sleeves.  I still can’t keep track of what all these things do; I’m just taking their word for it that I actually need them all.  There’s one that smells particularly foul, though.  Kallen’s been keeping his distance since I put that one on.  I’m tempted to slip off to the bathroom and accidently flush it down the toilet.  Mom’s pretty focused on other things right now, maybe she wouldn’t notice.

Dad and Kallen are still taking turns patrolling the outside of the house.  Dad has strict orders from Mom not to leave the area of the protection circles, though.  She’s afraid that Fatin will actually try to exorcise him.

Louhi and Midar must have warned the others not to scry for me because I haven’t felt their pull since sending my pain through the light to those two.  None of us find it particularly comforting, though.  It probably just means that they’re thinking of worse things to do to me.  My overactive imagination has been running through possible scenarios, and none of them turn out well for me.  I’m not as certain as I was yesterday morning that I can stand up to these people and win.  They fight too dirty.  Thank goodness I don’t have to do it alone.

I’m in the middle of a day dream where Grandpa creates a fire bomb out of thin air so when Kallen’s hand touches my shoulder, I practically jump off my chair.  Without even consciously thinking about it, I’m flooded with magic, which makes everyone in the room pause in what they’re doing except Dad.  He’s oblivious.  Kallen takes several steps back and holds his hands up in front of him as an ‘I come in peace’ gesture.  Color rushes to my cheeks as I try to keep the magic under control.  Several deep breaths later, I’ve almost let it all go.

Mom reaches across the table and touches my hand with her cold one.  “You’ll be fine.  Your grandmother and Kallen and I won’t let anything happen to you.”  Mom’s always been perceptive when it came to me and Zac.  But then again, even the least perceptive person in the world could figure out that I’m worried about dying in the next day or two.

The sudden ringing of the phone almost causes the same reaction as Kallen’s touch.  Magic starts flooding into me again.  At this rate, the biggest danger to all of us is going to be me.

Looks are exchanged around the room as we all hesitate, not wanting to take the call.  After the sixth ring, I can’t take it anymore and I answer it.  We might as well get this over with.  “Hello.”

“Xandra, is your mom or dad around?”  It’s Aunt Barb.

“We’re here, Barb.  What’s going on?” Dad asks from his position next to Mom where he’s been watching in fascination as Mom works her spells.

“I just got the strangest phone call.  A Dr. Louis just called.  He said he was an old friend of yours from medical school and he was hoping to drop by while he was in Denver.”

Any color Mom or Dad had has left them.  I take it Dad didn’t go to school with a Dr. Louis.  Or a Dr. Louhi, maybe.  “Barb,” Mom says with a voice that’s shakier than I care to hear, “you need to take Zac and get out of there as soon as possible.  Get in your car and drive. Right now.”  Now it’s my turn to lose all my color.  They’ve found Aunt Barb and Zac.

“Julienne, what’s wrong?  What’s going on?”

“How did they know?” I ask Mom, who at the moment, looks like someone poked a hole in her sanity balloon and all the air is leaking out.  I don’t know if she’s going to be able to hold it together much longer.  Maybe now’s not the best time to ask her questions.  “Um, Aunt Barb, you should do what Mom’s asking.  We can explain later.  Just go.”

“Okay,” she says and the tremor in her voice tells me that she’s getting how serious this is.  “Should I pack anything?”

“NO! Just go!” Mom yells.  Nope, not much air left in that balloon.

Aunt Barb gasps in shock but she doesn’t ask any more questions. “Alright, we’re on our way out now.  Zac, get your shoes and your coat, we have to go.”

We can hear Zac in the background asking his own questions but Aunt Barb shushes him.  I can imagine the pouty look on his face after being scolded for asking reasonable questions.  I feel horrible that he has to go through all this because of me.  No, because of Grandpa.

“Zac, shoes, now,” Aunt Barb tells him and then we hear her sharp intake of breath.  “Jim, there’s someone at the door.  What do I do?”

Five voices answer her at once.  “Don’t answer it!”

“Barb, can you go out the fire escape?” Dad asks with panic in his voice.

“I don’t know.  Zac,” she whispers, “we need to try to go out the fire escape.”

“Cool!” we hear Zac say and a smile tries to touch my lips but I’m too worried about them for it to get very far.

“Okay, I’m trying to get the window open now.  It’s stuck.  Zac, come here and help me.”  We hear them struggling to get the window open and a little pop tells us when they’re successful. 

“Barb, look below, is there anyone there?” Dad instructs.

After a second, she gasps.  “There’s a rather large man staring up here.”

“They’re trapped,” Kallen says grimly.

It’s the Fairies all over again.  They’re going to use my brother, and my aunt this time, to try to get me to surrender to them.  And I’m an hour and a half away so I can’t do anything about it. 

Aunt Barb begins whispering frantically into the phone.  “Oh god, Jim, someone just opened the door.  Zac, get in the closet.  Hurry!” 

The closet?  That’s the first place they’ll look.  My eyes close in defeat because I know it’ll be any minute now that they’re captured.  For several long heartbeats, all we can hear is Aunt Barb’s jagged breaths as she tries to swallow her fear.

Every second that passes increases the amount of magic that is saturating my body.  My ears are straining to hear the telltale sounds that will tell us that Zac and Aunt Barb have been found as my body prepares for a fight that’s too far away to win.  Every nerve ending I have is tingling and suddenly my mind is aglow with a burning white light that sears through me.  My eyes open like shutters and my voice forces my mouth to open for the scream that pierces the air.  I can’t see the kitchen, I can’t see the four people in the room with me, all I can see is white and it’s blinding me but my eyes refuse to close. 

I’m being pulled forward, a tugging that starts around my middle, as the light begins to fade and my eyes start to focus.  I’m not in my kitchen any longer.  I’m in Denver.  And directly in front of me is the source of my wrath.  Maeva.  Grandpa.  Louhi.  The looks on their faces tell me they weren’t expecting me.

Maeva gasps.  “We didn’t tell you to come.”

Like snakes uncoiling, three ropes of light lash out and find their targets.  “I am not a dog; I can come and go as I please.”  Pain races across their faces, contorting Louhi’s into something resembling a caricature of a monster right out of a B horror movie.

Grandpa is fumbling with something around his neck as he fights the pain.  “Invoke the spell!” he shouts to get the attention of the other two.  Maeva is on the ground now but Louhi is still struggling to stand like Grandpa.  As a surge of energy rushes through me, they are both forced to their knees.

Finally, Grandpa has freed a necklace from his collar that looks to be made of silver, amber and iron.  A Fairy repellant.  I know that one because Mom gave me one to protect me from the Fairies.  Oh, he’s going to be mad when he figures out that those don’t work on me.  “Fire and air surround, earth and water abound.  I in She and She in me, true goddess of the earth and sea, protect us from this Fae so foul, shield us from her reckless power.”

Okay, first of all, that last part didn’t rhyme.  And second, who is he to call me foul?  Now I’m really mad.  I focus my thoughts on the talisman he holds in his hand and Grandpa falls backwards as it explodes, trying to shield himself from the flames.  “I am so tired of you thinking you’re better than me!  If anyone is foul, it’s you three.  All I’m trying to do is live my life but you guys come after me like I’ve set a house of kittens on fire or something!  Alright, if you want a fight, you’ve got it.  But you will leave my Aunt and my brother alone.  If you harm one spec on their body, I won’t even bother trying to hold back my magic because this,” I gesture at the lights that are keeping them glued to their spots, “is nothing compared to what I can do if I get really mad.  Now sleep.”  Instantly, three bodies tumble to the ground in a heap, sound asleep. 

“Aunt Barb, Zac, you can come out now!” I call.  I’m not sure which room they’re in.

“Xandra!” I hear Zac call and suddenly he’s bounding down the hall towards me. He stops short when his mind finally registers what he’s seeing.  “You’re glowing.”  There’s more admiration in his voice than fear.  “Why are you glowing?  Are you a ghost now, too?”  How much does it say about our lives that he would be so calm and accepting about that?

“No, but I’m not really here, either.  Just my mind is.” 

His eyes light up with excitement.  “Can I do that?”

I can’t help but be amused.  “No, sorry.”

Aunt Barb has joined him in the hallway.  “Xandra, you’re astral projecting!  I knew it could be done.”  She has been working on that theory since Mom and Dad became ghosts and she had positive proof that spirits can survive outside the body.  “I wish I had my equipment here.”

Even with all the craziness going on, she’s still a scientist at heart.  “You two need to hurry.  Get in your car and drive home as fast as the roads will let you.”

“What about them?”  She gestures to the sleeping bodies on the floor.

“They’ll be out for as long as I’m here and if the other one is at the back of the building, he shouldn’t see you leave.  But I don’t know how long he’ll wait before he comes looking for his friends, so go, now.”

She nods and hurries to the front closet to get their coats.  She throws Zac his dark blue and gray Columbia ski jacket and she slips into her heavy beige trench coat.  When they finally have their boots, hats and gloves on, I shoo them out the door.  I’m not going anywhere until I at least know they’re on the road to safety.  It’s going to be a long hour and a half waiting for them to arrive back at the house. 

As I watch them get into the car from the front apartment window, I begin to feel my rage lessen.  My skin isn’t tingling anymore and the ropes of light have recoiled.  It’s time to go back home.