Electric Blue (22 page)

Her body began to convulse, shakes that began and vibrated through her body with speed. Roz spoke again, her voice strained. "Help. . .me. . . ." she said through clenched teeth. She opened her eyes wide, looking at everyone around her. "It holds. . .me. . .prisoner. . . ." Roz shook one final time and was still, snoring softly.

They looked at Roz sleeping peacefully and were silent for a moment. She no longer stirred, and her eyes no longer fluttered.

"It seems we have a problem," Cecelia said.

"Well, duh!" Chris said. "That's stating the obvious. What's wrong with my wife?"

"The baby in her stomach is a demon, not a human." Naomi said. "Demons are famous for possession. If your wife were possessed by a demon, we'd be alright."

"Alright?"
Orlando
said. "How can Roz being possessed be alright?"

"Because we could just perform an exorcism, like Cecelia said. But this is different."

"How is it different?" Chip asked.

"Well, Roz is carrying that which possesses her," Naomi said. "Demons normally don't feel any ill effects when they carry their own, but since this child is housed in Roz, she is carrying it even as it possesses her. To rid Roz of possession, we'd have to rid her of the baby. It's quite a Catch 22."

"There seems to be another problem," Cecelia said. "She seems to be having prophetic dreams."

"How can she be doing that when she is possessed?" Lucia asked.

"Perhaps, when she is sleeping, she is prophetic, but the demon distracts her while she is awake?" Cecelia said.

"Come on," Chip said. "Prophetic dreams?" he scoffed.

Cecelia regarded him icily. "I am an Oracle, I exist for prophecies. You all heard her. Something hunts Poppy; there are those that seek the Shifter. There are two warring forces inside her right now. It would explain why she remembers nothing when she wakes, why she is refreshed. It is a mask the demon has made."

"And that last bit, before she fell asleep?" Lucia asked. "That was Roz breaking through?"

"It would seem so." She paused. "There were prophecies that spoke of possession at the Coven House when I was there as a young woman. But nothing to prepare us for this."

"What are we going to do now?" Chip asked.

"Roz must decide whether or not to keep the baby," Cecelia replied.

"How can you even suggest getting rid of it?" Chip spat out.

"Because, even now, it is taking over her," Naomi said. The demon will eventually drive her mad and she may die. I have seen demon pregnancy only once before, and it was not pretty." She sighed.

"When Roz wakes, she will have to decide whether to continue with the pregnancy or not."

"She seems to be waking up," Lucia said for the second time.

All eyes turned on Roz, who had opened her eyes and was smiling. She lost her smile a moment of two later when they continued to stare. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Why is everyone looking at me like that? Will someone please tell me what's going on? Why am I lying down on this couch?" she looked at Chip. "Tell me what's wrong," she said.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Crow

In the Otherworld of Ashling, Poppy was concentrating. She could feel a shadow move over her, but she was neither cold nor afraid. This shadow knew her and she knew that it would not harm her. Alicia was speaking to her from far away. ". . .Now. . .listen to your Crow. . .you will be able to change at will eventually. . .but take it slowly at first. . .ease yourself into it. . .when you're Crow, you will be able to hear your Human thoughts more clearly. . . ."

Poppy smiled to herself and felt that warm her body. She stretched her hands out to either side of her again, fingers dancing on air. She focused on the wings, their black sound, and heard them grow louder, until all she heard was the flapping of wings. The sound seemed to grow with intensity, until the flapping was all around her, until she was breathing it in. She felt a curious sensation on her hands. When she opened her eyes, she saw black feathers sprouting on her fingertips. She closed her eyes shut again, afraid that if she opened her eyes while she was Changing, it wouldn't work. She began to feel pin pricks along her arms, down her legs. It felt as if she were being pricked with a million needles. Poppy felt her face begin to elongate and stretch, she felt herself grow smaller. She had a moment of panic when her mouth became a small beak, when her lips disappeared and she was unable to speak. "Relax. . . ." Alicia said inside her mind. "Just take a few deep breaths. . .you're doing fine," she said.

Poppy smiled to herself, or tried to. Her face had changed beyond recognition and she could feel different muscles trying to respond. She opened her mouth to say something to Alicia, that she was afraid, that she was not what they thought she was, and out came a harsh caw.

"It's Okay, Poppy. . ." Alicia said. ". . .trust me, you're almost done."

Poppy tried to nod, but her head felt funny. She felt the pinpricks all over her body now; her face, the backs of her hands, her eyelids. Her skin felt as if there were something alive beneath it. She felt it moving, shifting just above her bones. She knew it was almost over, that she was almost done, because the prickling intensity doubled. There was one sharp, painful moment where she saw red and then she felt the world falling away from her. Blackness swallowed her and she knew nothing until the morning.

* * * * *

On the third day in the cave, Poppy opened her eyes. Except that they were not her eyes. They belonged to someone else. Or something else. She saw the world in blacks and whites, shades of grey and whiter shades of pale. She turned her head and looked around the cave that had quickly become their home. Alicia lay sleeping beside her. She stood and found her legs shaky. She looked down to see not her legs, but two long, black legs ending in talons. She let out a shriek of shock, but it came out as a caw. She stretched her arms, only they were not her arms, but feathered wings. It amazed her that she was thinking so clearly inside the body of a crow, but then again, stranger things had happened.

She nudged Alicia with her beak, marveling at the feel of her body now. She felt the air stir her feathers, felt the wind want to lift her up and take her away. She was so aware of the world around her now. Even if her sight was in black and white, it was still sharper than her human sight. She saw the rocks, the grains of stone and sand. Alicia stirred beside her. She opened her eyes, the dawn of the coming day casting yellow gold shadows over everything. "Well, hello there," she said. "Told you it would work." Poppy cawed.

"You can speak to me in your thoughts, Poppy," she said.

Poppy regarded her with a look that said "I don't think so." She cawed again.

"Trust me on this, you can think your thoughts and I will hear them."

Like this?

"Just like that."

This is just so weird, Poppy said. I'm not sure how I'm doing this.

"Magic," Alicia said smiling. "And now, before we have breakfast, how would you like to try to fly?"

* * * * *

Fly?
Poppy said inside Alicia's head.
You mean really, really fly?

"You're a bird." Alicia said. "Of course I mean fly. What do you think your wings are for?"

Now is not the time for sarcasm, Poppy said.

Alicia laughed. “It's not that hard. Just concentrate on flight and flap your arms."

Hardee har har

"Who's laughing? You've got wings, remember. You have to picture yourself being lighter than air. There is magic inside you, Poppy. Use it to your advantage. You know that old party game?"

Which one?

"Light as a feather, thin as a board?"

No, Poppy said. How does it work?

"Well, you have to close your eyes and try to picture yourself light as a feather. If it works, you would normally be able to levitate."

Poppy scoffed.
Right.

"I'm serious! Try it."

Poppy sighed inwardly and closed her eyes.
Light as a feather thin as a board, light as a feather, thin as a board,
she repeated. It became a mantra, a chant inside her head that reverberated through her body. She began to flap her wings by instinct, her Crow Self taking control instinctively. Even as a Shape Shifter, a crow is still a wild bird. Instinct is one of its rules. She felt her wings cut through the air, felt the air move around them. It felt as if the world around her ceased to exist.

"Open your eyes," Alicia said.

Poppy did and let out a scream, which came out as a rough caw. She was flying. She couldn't believe it, but she was flying. The world was below her, the ground a short distance away. She let out another caw, this time one of triumph. This was more magnificent than changing shape, flying was the ultimate magic.

"Come on down now and change back!" Alicia called to her. "You don't want to overdo it."

You're right. I'll be right down.
Poppy landed with grace right at Alicia's feet.

Alicia laughed. "Show off."

It seems to come naturally. It's like. . .it's like coming home in a way. . . .

"What do you mean?"

Well, I feel like I belong here more than in the real world.

"Must be the magic in you."

Must be.

"Do you think you can change back? Remember; focus on the image of you as a human. When you're a human, you change by picturing your Crow Self, so now picture you as your Human Self."

Poppy closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt the pinpricks all over her body now, that sensation coming fast as if it had never left her. She felt it on her face, the backs of her hands, her eyelids; her skin felt as if there were something alive beneath it. She felt it moving, shifting just above her bones. It didn't gross her out this time though. It was familiar. She knew it was almost over, that she was almost done, because the prickling intensity doubled. There was one sharp, painful moment where she saw red and then. . .colour. Her vision had returned to normal. She looked down at herself. She was human again. "Will it hurt all the time?"

"You will get used to the pain," Alicia said, helping her up and holding her in her arms.

"Lucky me," Poppy said. "Well, you know what they say: No pain, no gain."

Alicia smiled and kissed her on the nose.

* * * * *

That night, Poppy dreamt again. The dream came on her again, fast and furious. It railed around her head, batted at her dreams until she let it in. She heard the voices again. . .it was a voice, repeated a million times. It was as if the owner of the voice didn't know which voice he was comfortable with, or as if the voice itself was surrounded by water. There was a rush of air before the voice spoke.

". . ..You are angry with me. . . ."

Poppy shook her head and cawed. And realised something else. Much like
Alice
through the rabbit hole, she had changed, become, developed. She was a crow, black winged and raven feathered. Poppy tried to speak, but could only caw. Then she understood. The voice she was hearing was inside of her head. Inside her.

"How can I be angry if I don't even know what's happened?" she thought.

“. . .I have made you into the stuff of dreams. . .and nightmares. . . ."

"You've transformed me."

". . .Correct. . . ."

"Why?"

". . .because. . .it was your wish. . .by the sacrifice of your blood. . .you have become the stuff of shadows. . . ." the crow said.

"But I didn't ask for this. . .why did you change me?" Red tears formed in the black feathers around her eyes. They fell to the floor to mingle with the blood that had slipped in amongst the cracks in the floorboards of her room.

". . .through your blood, we are connected. . .change is necessary in life. . .but you will always remain what you were. . . .You were chosen. . . ."

* * * * *

When she woke, Poppy vaguely recalled the dream. The sun was rising on their fourth day in the cave. She went to their sacks and got the makings for breakfast. Her stomach was rumbling. They had not eaten much since they had arrived in the Otherworld, but then again, it seemed they did not need to. She felt a pain on her right hand. She looked down and there, at the base of the thumb, was a mark like a black wing. It throbbed and began to glow a soft amber colour. Her father was calling to her.

Chapter Thirty

No Other Choice

They had taken Roz to the House on Harrow Hill. When Naomi had suggested they put Roz in a secluded room, Cecelia knew just the place.

"It's where we found my daughter, Monica," Cecelia said. "It's perfect; she will not be disturbed."

"I still can't believe that I'm letting you all do this," Chip said.