Blood Burdens (The Shadow World) Read online

  I get out of the car at last, my legs tired from sitting. I stretch my whole body, lengthening out my arms and legs as far as they can go, my bones popping from sitting for too long. After swiveling from side-to-side and stretching my back, I’m about to make my way inside but I stop short. My body stiffens with tension. My stomach knots with dread as I take in the scene before me.

  A massive line of Witches, which stretches from one side of the wood line to the other, stands before me. They all look tense and serious, as if ready to attack the threat that has set foot on their land again. Me!

  Chapter Two

  The Witches are holding baskets of various objects, and their gazes are all locked on me. This can’t be good. I start to back up to the car. In a matter of a few seconds I can be in the car and out of here. I’ll bust through the gates if I have to. I try signaling to Addie that she needs to get back in the car but pause when I see the smile on her face.

  I give Addie a perplexed look. I’m about to ask what’s so funny when a loud clap comes from the back of the crowd. Those holding baskets set them down to join whoever’s clapping. Then the crowd parts as Danika makes her way through.

  Addie has also joined in on the cheer. A single tear escapes her eye. I peek behind me to see who the crap they’re cheering for, but there’s no one behind me.

  “Don’t seem so surprised,” Danika say. “You did a great thing for our community, and even though you’ve found out the person responsible for all this is your grandfather, you still refuse to give up. That’s very honorable, Racquel.” Danika has stopped a few feet in front of me but she reaches out to give me a hug. “Thank you.”

  I slightly hug her back, still perplexed at this show of gratitude. “I wasn’t the only one that fought them, you know.”

  Danika pulls back, taking a step back to give me some room. “You were the one who kept us going. You never gave up, even when it looked like we should. You kept all of us in line, especially me. It was a brave thing you did and a brave thing that you are continuing to do. You deserve our appreciation.”

  I really don’t know what to say to their show of kindness except for thank you, which I say loudly. After a few more moments everyone stops clapping and returns to the hustle and bustle of their daily routines.

  When I glance back at Danika, I notice she isn’t wearing her normal ‘look at me, all proper’ style. Instead she has on jeans, a red t-shirt with the image of a smiling mushroom on it, and a pair of tennis shoes. I raise my eyebrows at her. “Wow, you look…relaxed.”

  She cast a peek down at her clothes. “This was always my preferred style, but I thought I had to dress more prim and proper to be taken seriously. And you know what I realized when I met you?”

  “What?”

  She takes a step forward, placing her hand over my heart. “It’s not about appearances, it’s about heart.” She smiles at me as she removes her hand.

  Addie runs around the car, slamming into me with a hug. “Wasn’t that awesome?” She releases me then gives Danika a hug. The girl is wound tight and on the pounce.

  “Yeah, I guess it was.” I say lamely, still embarrassed by the whole scene. I give Danika a smirk, trying to divert the conversation from me. “You should start a clothing line. The label could say, ‘It’s not about appearances, it’s about heart.”

  Addie nods her head as we make our way toward the Elders’ House. “Maybe if they wear it enough and see the advertisements, it will finally sink in.”

  “You know how we could really make it sink in? We could put wards up every 100 miles or so, implanting the thought and feeling into every being on the planet. Now that would be awesome.” We all start laughing, knowing it would never work but thinking how funny it would be to set up somewhere and watch people pass through the wards and come out the other side disoriented, but with a new outlook on life.

  We’re still laughing as we approach the Elders’ House. I start to walk up the steps but Danika puts her hand out to stop me. “We can’t go in there yet, they’re in a meeting.”

  “What about?” Addie asks.

  “They really don’t know how to choose new Elders.” Danika has a mournful expression, her voice quiet.

  Eldrida was such a great leader and a compassionate teacher; it’s going to be hard to replace her. She had showed me great compassion and guidance when I came here a few months ago. She is going to be a difficult Crone to replace. “Aren’t there rules on how to do that?”

  “Well, the Mother usually takes the place of the Crone once the Crone passes into the next plane but they don’t have that option now. They have to find a replacement for both Mother and Crone.”

  Hanalei was the Mother but she had betrayed us all by siding with Cerelia. She changed her mind in the end, choosing to fight with us against Cerelia but her initial betrayal did not go unforgiven. And I still didn’t know what she had done to help Cerelia. “Where is Hanalei?”

  “Witten and Laveda stripped her of her powers and sent her out to the human world. It is the harshest punishment bestowed upon a Witch. I have heard stories of Witches who have gone mad after their powers were stripped. You feel this hollow void in your life that can’t be mended no matter what you do.” Danika explains with a hint of fear in her voice.

  “I’m surprised that’s all they did to her.” I would have expected the council to imprison her. I didn’t think they would just let her go, although it does sound like the punishment they gave her was harsh for a Witch.

  “They did interrogate her before stripping her powers. It turns out she was helping Cerelia to find a binding spell that would work. Supposedly she was being threatened by Cerelia and didn’t know what to do. The Ruling Council scolded Hanalei for not coming to them or the Elders. They could have protected her, while searching for Cerelia.”

  After meeting Cerelia and experiencing her power, I don’t know what I would have done if put in Hanalei’s position. I still feared Cerelia and her hold over me. I haven’t had any more dreams since that day in the mountain but I knew first-hand what she could do in a dream and I feared what she could do to me in real life.

  We walk around the Elders’ House, exiting into the common grounds. Everyone is busy hanging clothes, placing herbs out to dry, and washing vegetables before canning. It was still amazing to me how well these people lived off the land while still enjoying the perks of modern technology.

  A group of teenagers hung out, surfing the Internet on their laptops and iPads. There was an older woman sitting in a hammock reading from what appeared to be a Kindle. The Witches worked hard tilling the soil, but still spared no expense when it came to modern technology or luxury, such as their fleet of private jets.

  No one stops to stare at us—or should I say me—while we pass by. Last time I walked through here by myself, every eye was on me. Now people are going on about their lives, trusting me now, assuming that I’m not going to pounce on them and kill them for whatever reason I see fit. It’s a big change for me.

  As we approach the dorms the front door burst open, slamming against the brick wall. I’m surprised the glass in the window didn’t shatter. Fawn comes bouncing down the sidewalk, her face split in a big grin. “Oh my gosh, you made it!” Her southern drawl echoes through the grounds. Fawn gives me a tight squeeze before turning to Addie to give her a hug. “I’ve missed you guys. So how was the trip?”

  Addie and I both say “Long,” our tones expressing our exhaustion. Danika and Fawn notice our fatigue and direct us to the dorm house.

  The dorm is buzzing with noise. Girls are walking up and down the halls gossiping and laughing. Two girls walk by us, elated over a new boy that just joined the Coven. Apparently this is big news because I hear several other girls discussing the same thing. There aren’t that many male Witches in the Coven, so any fresh meat in the Coven catches every girl’s eye.

  Danika and Fawn lead us down to the end of the hall, giving me the room I had before. Addie gets the room Ethan had last time, righ
t across the hall from me.

  “Get some rest. Later we are having a bonfire to celebrate Samhain.” Fawn turns to head back down the hall, skipping on the tips of her toes.

  I smile at Fawn’s cheeriness before turning to Danika. “I thought Samhain started on Halloween?” This was something I did know. Growing up, Addie would spend weeks getting ready for Samhain and the local festival they held at home. She would prance around fretting over whatever outfit theme her and her friends had decided on, whether it was an herbal princess, an original, a goddess, an element, or whatever else they came up with.

  “It usually is, but this year is special. We’ll still celebrate Samhain on Halloween, but Saturday is also a special event. This year a Perigee Moon will come into its full phase, and it will last until Monday morning.” Danika looks like she’s going to say more, but stops when her cellphone starts buzzing. The screen lights up to reveal a picture of her mom while the theme song from Charmed echoes through the hall.

  I try pressing the laugh that’s trying to escape, but I fail, and it comes busting out of my mouth. Her eyes become narrow slits as she regards me, her phone going silent. “I’ll have you know that is a very good song.”

  My laugh becomes harder as she splutters a defense of her ringtone. A few weeks ago, when we were wandering all over the world searching for the mysterious kidnapper, her ringtone was a free standard tone, and she’d have to keep checking to see if it was hers ringing and not someone else’s around her. Now, there was no mistaking it.

  Addie nudges my shoulder, a small smile dances on her face. “As Danika was saying, this Samhain will start off differently, but every Samhain or Solstice starts off with a week-long bonfire for the new Witches. The bonfire is something unique to the Covenant. It allows the new Witches, Witches still in training, or those who have lived here for a while to understand and remember why we celebrate these times, and what they mean.”

  “Awesome.” Sounds like something I will need to attend. Maybe I can learn a little bit too. Okay, probably a lot. I wish I could stay for the whole festival, even though I’m not in a festive mood, but I already told Ethan I would be back by Tuesday night. Surely it won’t take longer than a day to talk with the Elders. I can sum up what I have to say in less than five minutes, it sure wasn’t going to take a whole day. Plus, I worry about Ethan and Coy alone in our house. I can only imagine what I’ll come back to after leaving two teenage boys there alone. Ethan may be fixing to turn twenty, but in many ways he’s still a boy.

  Thinking of Ethan and his upcoming birthday reminds me Addie’s birthday is coming up too. She’ll turn 24 next week. I hope I can make it special for her. After everything she’s been through, celebrating her life will hopefully lift her spirits some.

  Danika says she will see us later and heads down the hall, her attention focused on her phone. I’m sure the call is from the Elders. Whenever she receives a message or call from the Elders, it is her top priority at that moment. Addie had told me that she was in training to be the Maidens’ apprentice.

  “I’m going to go take a nap. You want to meet back up in my room at five?”

  Addie looks droopy, the drive tuckering out her already-tired body. She thinks I don’t know but I’ve heard her whimpering at night, and listened as she tiptoed around the house checking corners. The poor girl hasn’t had a descent night’s sleep since she’s been home.

  One night when I heard her footsteps coming down the hall, I jumped out of bed, surprising her at my door. She jumped as I yanked my door open, and I felt bad for that. She made an excuse about getting a glass of water. I tried getting the truth out of her, and offered my support, but she still denied that anything was wrong. Since then, I have given her space, knowing how it feels to want to be left alone when something is bothering me. Hopefully in time, she will admit her fear and talk to someone.

  “Yeah, I could use a few hours’ rest myself.” This is a lie, I feel perfectly fine. I’m still pumped on my thoughts, and finally being out of the car. But if I tell Addie this, she’ll feel guilty about me staying up alone, insist on staying awake, and then I’ll be the one feeling guilty.

  Addie heads into her room and I go into mine. Everything looks the same as it did the last time I stayed here. The walls are still a bare, plain white, waiting for some permanent resident to bring them to life. The only color in the room is the beautiful stitched quilt containing a multitude of colors, and what seems to be a gift, lying on the bedside table, wrapped in blue paper with a pink bow.

  I examine the present. Tucked underneath the bow and ribbon is a white card with my name on it. I’ve only ever received presents from two people, my grandmother and Addie. Addie couldn’t have left this present because she never came in here. So who left this?

  I pick up the card to examine the back, hoping to find out who this is from. But the card is empty, nothing on the back except a blank white sheet. Lifting the package, I can tell it’s a book of some kind. The binding is round and smooth, while the edges are tearing through the paper.

  I rip off the paper and find a beginner’s guide to Wiccan magic. Flipping open the front cover, I find an inscription in beautiful flawless handwriting.

  Dear Racquel,

  I know that your life has brought you nothing but heartache. Your understanding of yourself has been limited because of others’ judgment on you by all those in the Shadow World. This book is to help you not only bring understanding into your life about your powers but also for you to begin a new chapter in your life. A life that can hopefully be accepted and understood not only by others but by yourself as well.

  Sincerely,

  Eldrida and the Elders

  I grasp my chest as tears sting my eyes. I wonder when Eldrida wrote this. Her death has left a big void not only in my life but in others’ lives as well. Danika had told us that Eldrida’s burial ceremony was beautiful, but she also told us of all the sorrow and pain that everyone felt every day. I sometimes wonder if Eldrida knew what her fate was going to be on that day. This book is more evidence that she may have known.

  With one last grief-filled sigh, I set the book down on the table and pick up my backpack. I rifle through it, searching for my toothbrush and paste, needing a quick refreshing scrub. I open the big front pocket and search deep within it for my little tube of paste. Why didn’t I just bring my big tube of paste from home? Instead, I thought it would be more convenient to buy a small tube to conserve space. Yeah, that’s turning out to be an ordeal.

  While I’m digging around in my bag, I feel a crumpled up piece of paper at the bottom. I pull it out along with my toothpaste that I finally find. Unraveling the paper, I see that it’s the paper with all the formulas on it. I had found this paper at home, before finding out everything that my grandfather had been up to, then I had promptly forgotten about it again.

  I sit on the bed, staring at the paper. Flashbacks start running through my mind. Coy had researched these formulas, trying to decipher their meaning, along with the Latin words written underneath them. We hadn’t understood their meaning until later, when we found Edwin and Cerelia deep within the mountain.

  I remember seeing Micah standing at the top of those stairs, his body appearing fine, although I could see the pain he was in. I remember looking into green eyes, untainted by red. He was scared, not understanding what was going on but knowing it wasn’t good.

  The Seelie Queen had been right. She had told me that the one I sought would hurt me the most, and my grandfather’s betrayal did hurt me. It hurt me more than anything else ever has. Knowing that he was watching as I was beaten time and again, finding out that he was the one who had taken Addie, that he had abandoned Addie and I to go on his insane quest, then seeing what he had done to Micah…. All that hurt ten times more than the lash marks from the whips, or the sting from the Vampire bites that now scar my skin.

  I’m brought out of my musings by a light tap on the door. I shove the paper back into my bag. I don’t know why I ke
ep holding on-to that piece of paper. Part of me thinks I should just throw it away but for some reason I can’t.

  I open the door to find a girl I’ve only met once in my life. But though I’ve only met her once, I will never forget her or the others we saved that day.

  “Hey Jessie,” I say, trying to give my voice a light and happy tone, but I’m not sure it comes out that way. Jessie had been the only surviving Witch besides Addie. Her black curls were so matted with dirt that her hair looked brown. She had been covered from head to toe in dirt and hay, her clothes were torn and ratty.

  Jessie had been in Chile working with some impoverished villagers. The Elders send out small groups of Witches throughout the world to try and restore the lands. Jessie wondered off from her group to work on some fruit trees when she was captured.

  I remember her crying in the hotel afterward. She couldn’t understand why she was never chosen for the experiments. There had been another Witch, Caden, who had been brought in after her who was used before Jessie was. Jessie blamed herself, claiming she was weak and that Cerelia kept choosing the strong ones first. Laveda had reassured her that they were all strong and that Cerelia had a twisted mind that couldn’t be understood by reason or logic.

  “Did I wake you?” Jessie’s voice is low. Her long curls shield her face as she looks at the floor.

  “Not at all, come on in.” I open the door wider for her to come in but she shakes her head.

  “I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life.”

  “I wasn’t the only one there. It was a group effort.” Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the others, I don’t know that I could have saved them.

  “I know but I wanted to thank you anyway.” She peers up at me with a forced smile that looks more like a grim line. “I better get going; they told us to leave you guys alone.”